A Love That Consumes You
by This Is My Escape
Summary: "You want a love that consumes you. You want passion, adventure, and even a little danger." He compelled her to fall in love, to forget their first meeting, and to forget his first "I love you." But what happens when Elena wakes and remembers everything? AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Pairing: **Sure as hell isn't Stelena.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own TVD or its characters. Because if I did...Elena would have told Matt to keep driving.

**Rating:** M for language and graphic scenes. You've been warned.

**Summary:** He compelled her to fall in love; a love that would completely consume her. And she responded to that compulsion, but not in the way either of them expected. A story about what happens when Elena remembers...everything.

**Sidenote: **Italics are scenes that have aired from the episode or are personal thoughts. I think it's pretty self-explanatory, but if you're confused then don't hesitate to ask me to elaborate.

* * *

"_It's Mystic Falls. Nothing bad ever happens here." – Elena Gilbert_

* * *

"_What's happening?"_

"_Oh no." Damon could feel Alaric clutch at his neck and he quickly reached for him._

_"Ugh, what's happening?" he gasped._

_The vampire watched wide-eyed as Alaric crumpled to the floor. _

_"What?_ _Ric?" he panted, falling to the floor with his ex-best friend as he yelled in agony. The signals of death were swiftly introducing themselves, wrapping and warping the teacher's face. "Ric!"_

"The witch tied my life to Elena's. If she dies…I die." _The memory of Ric's words screamed at him. __Their lives were tethered together. Without Elena, Alaric couldn't survive. That meant…_

_No._

"_N-n-no, no, no!" Damon groaned, squeezing Alaric who was gasping and fighting for his final breaths. "Ric! No! Ric!" _

_This couldn't be happening…this wasn't happening. He watched as the vampire who'd been hell bent on destroying them all ashen and gray before his eyes._

"_You are not dead," he breathed, feeling the monster's hold on his wrist loosen. "You are_ not_ dead!" his voice broke, not bothering to fight back the tears the flooded his eyes._

_No, Elena couldn't be gone._

_He looked down at the corpse of the man who'd become a friend to him and shook his head._

* * *

Driving home, Damon's mind was flying faster than a speeding bullet. Forget the choice. Forget Elena's choice and forget being Elena's _second _choice. Damon should have never left Mystic Falls. He should have never agreed to his brother's deal. Doing so had signed Elena's death warrant.

She'd still be alive if he would have stayed in Mystic Falls. He promised he would never leave her again and that's exactly what had happened. He broke his promise and look at what happened.

_This is all my fault_. _I did this to her…_

* * *

_Two Hours Later…_

"_Where is she?" Damon growled, storming through the hospital halls. Alaric's death signified the one thing that would have _never_ happened had he stayed by her side. He wouldn't believe it until he saw it._

"_No. Damon," the petite brunette panicked, reaching around her fellow doctor to meet up with him. "Wait!"_

"_Where is she!" His eyes were blazing and darting in every direction. He could feel Fell gripping his arm but he refused to let her slow him down. _

_Meredith ran in front of him to attempt it, though. "You need to know," she hurriedly explained, "When Jeremy brought Elena in earlier tonight her injuries were worse than I lead on," she took a deep breath. All of her words were flowing out of her mouth and running together quicker than her lungs could function. _

_He pushed against the hand that was pushing against him. "It wasn't a concussion," she continued. "It was a cerebral hemorrhage - Bleeding on the brain." _

_Damon froze momentarily. He hated the fact that he didn't comprehend any of the sexy psycho doctor's words. _

_She was dead. Elena was dead…but Meredith was saying something else. Making it seem like there was…more. Damn it. What the hell was it? _

_And why couldn't she just fucking speak English?_

"_What are you saying?" he asked impatiently. His voice was laced with an obviously irritable confusion._

_Meredith was shaking her head, begging for him to understand. "He was so worried, I didn't want to tell him! But I….I _helped_ her," she stated with conviction. Her eyes wide and determined._

_Damon continued to stare at her as if she were an alien from another planet. Who, him? Jeremy? And she helped her? How the hell did she _help_ her? Elena was dead, damn it!_

Speak English, Fell before I rip out your jugular, _his thoughts roared._

"_She needed my help." And now she was nodding as she watched the puzzle pieces finally clicking into place in Damon's mind. _

_A look of realization suddenly dawned on him before he narrowed his eyes at the doctor, completely stunned. _Holy shit.

"_You did _what?" _he gasped disbelievingly. This was the last thing he'd been expecting._

Meredith was nodding her head emphatically. Finally! "Yes, Damon," she sighed. "I gave her blood…_your_ blood…Jeremy had no idea…" she let the arm that had been weakly attached to Damon's drop. "I helped her, Damon. Elena needed my help and I helped her." Her words were on repeat, and she was sounding like a broken record player.

"You fed her…my…blood?" the vampire asked slowly. What…_what_? She was going to wake up? She would wake up in transition… but…

Elena would wake up?

She wasn't gone forever.

"She's…not dead," Damon breathed, feeling his throat tighten. An ember of hope flickered somewhere deep inside him. "She's not dead," he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper, but sounding more resolute than before. The ember glowing deep inside of him sparked, the small glowing light growing brighter.

Meredith shook her head, letting out a harsh breath. She furrowed her brows. "She'll wake up. And when she does she'll be in transition, Damon."

"I got that," he snapped, feeling the veins in his face crackle. He took a deep breath, knowing he needed to calm down. He ran his hands through his hair in exasperation.

Anger and hunger were never a good combination. "That's what happens when a human dies after feeding them vampire blood. _Where is she_?" he pressed. Damon was once again trying to maneuver around the weak woman.

"The morgue, Damon. She's in the morgue." He froze for a millisecond at her words. He shook them off and was once again moving to get to her; he had to get to Elena. An arm shot out and gripped him.

Before Meredith could say anything more, Damon heard a sudden gasp come from deep inside of the hospital. It was strangled, as if emerging from being underwater for far too long. He knew that gasp.

He'd heard it six months prior. A memory flashed before him.

"_How do you feel?" he'd asked her, searching her eyes for sign of the change._

"_Fine," she gasped. "I feel fine."_

Elena.

"Let go of me," Damon snarled. He could shatter the woman's limb without a second thought if he wanted. He was eager to get to Elena. The feeble woman's hold on him tightened slightly and he scoffed at her. Right, like that would hold him. "I have somewhere to be, Fell. Let me go."

"You're going to have to compel anyone who enters the morgue to forget what they saw Elena down there. It'll be hard to explain if she just wakes up and walks out of there. Damon, if you don't –"

"Thanks, I've seen Night of the Living Dead. We know what people think of zombies, okay? She's not going to spook the custodian," he quipped. "You don't have to worry, I know what to do. Now, let me go."

His eyes narrowed but he didn't compel her. He was challenging her, daring her to try and stop him.

He was in no mood for this shit.

And for once, Meredith did as he said. She was surprisingly shaken by him. Damon didn't scare her, but she could see that he was crazed and desperate to get to the thing that had uncovered his humanity.

Ric had once told Meredith about Elena's hold on Damon, but now that she was witnessing it…it was overwhelming.

Meredith nodded and let her arm drop to her side, watching as Damon blurred away in the direction of the chilling room of death located in the basement.

* * *

He entered the basement, flying down the stairs. He came to a halt after hearing Stefan whisper soothing words. "It's alright. You're going to be okay. Everything's going to be fine."

Damon slowly entered the room and his shoulders sagged in relief, his knees almost giving out.

"Elena," Damon choked out, seeing her heaving body lying on the silver bed. She was in tears and sobbing uncontrollably, the sight breaking the vampire's heart. He barely noticed Stefan's presence, unable to take his eyes off of the girl.

"Damon."

He reluctantly tore his eyes away to stare and glare at his little brother. Stefan was the reason Elena was even in this mess. Her clothes were soaked. What the hell was she even doing wet? What happened?

His voice was so low, had Damon been human he would've missed it. "She's in transition." Stefan was rubbing her back, trying to console her.

_Thank you, Captain Obvious. _

Damon stayed silent and slowly approached Elena. Her face was in her hands and she was rocking back and forth, not yet realizing he was in the morgue with them.

He winced at the pain he could feel emanating from the brunette sitting in front of him. "Damon," she wept, "I need Damon."

The blue-eyed vampire froze, his eyes slowly moving to look at Stefan. _Did I hear that right?_

"Elena," Stefan whispered, not removing his hand from the small of her back. "He's here. Look. Open your eyes." He let go of her back and gently pried her hands from her face and smiled a tight smile, careful not to frighten her.

Elena's reddened eyes followed Stefan's drifting gaze until they locked with pained and scorching blue. "Damon?"

The raven-haired vampire nodded once, swallowing thickly. He didn't know what to say to her. What was he supposed to say to her? _Sorry Not-so-psycho-lady fed you my blood. You'd be _dead_ dead if it wasn't for her. _"Elena," he had started to say, but before he could finish his statement he saw Elena rush at him, her arms wrapping around his neck like a vice.

Stefan shifted a bit, letting the action happen.

"You're okay," Damon breathed into her hair. He felt hot tears staining his shirt, which made him grip her tighter.

"Your blood saved my life," she murmured into his neck, not letting up on her equally iron-strong hold.

"Actually…"

"Damon," Elena cried out to him, effectively cutting him off. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. "What am I going to do?"

"What do you mean, 'what are you going to do?'" he gawked at her.

Elena shook her head at him, seemingly unable to understand his words. "I…I don't know."

_What?_ He found himself thinking. _The answer's pretty obvious. Like, neon lights, obvious. _

He licked his lips and placed his hands on her shoulders. "You're going to do whatever you feel comfortable with doing." His voice was unbelievably soft.

Stefan spoke up now, entering the conversation. "You don't have to complete the transition, Elena." His words made Damon wince, but the eldest Salvatore brother let him continue. "Alaric didn't want it. Damon didn't want it. It's your choice, you don't have to do this."

"Stefan, what am I supposed to do? I can't leave Jeremy. I'm all he has left…" she began to cry again. "Everybody's gone. I can't leave him alone."

Elena stayed in Damon's grasp, turning her head to look at him. "I can't be a vampire, but I can't leave my brother."

_I know that feeling too fucking well,_ Damon's inner head grumbled.

"I need my brother," she sobbed again. "Where is he?"

Damon was quick to soothe her. "Jeremy's safe, Elena. He's alright." He gave her a quick once-over; she was pale, shaken, and drenched. "You…you need blood," he painfully smirked, nodding. Yeah...she wasn't looking so good.

Damon looked over at Stefan. "Get her something. We're in a hospital for crying out loud. It shouldn't be too daunting to grab what she needs."

Elena shook her head. "Wait. Please…just wait," she mumbled but Stefan was already gone.

* * *

Alone in a room with the girl who'd denied him just hours before…well, one would think it'd be awkward, tense. But, truth be told Damon had never been so happy to be alone with her in all his life.

She was alive….or at least she would be. Sort of.

"Elena," he croaked, once again giving into the relief that had been shouting at him since he'd entered the morgue. "What the hell happened?" he asked, pulling her close to him.

"I…" she frowned. She looked down at her clothes and her brows dipped, trying to remember. "Matt…he drugged me."

"He _what_?" Damon snarled before quickly biting back his anger to let her finish.

"I woke up and we were driving…I called you to tell you I was…." She trailed off, knowing they didn't need to rehash the details of their phone conversation.

"Then Caroline's telling me Tyler's dead," she further explained, her lip quivering as she fought back tears. "And then the next thing I know Rebekah is standing in front of Matt's truck…she was just standing there. We drove off Wickery Bridge," she cried, her tears falling freely down her cheeks. "Damon?" she sniffed, noticing his stoic stance. "What is it?"

"Rebekah," he seethed. "I saved her life tonight…I got her out of there….and she repays me by driving you and Mutt off a bridge." He looked down at her and his eyes were shiny, but full of rage. "I could've lost you tonight, Elena." His hold on her tightened. "I was this close to losing you."

Elena nodded as the lights that had previously been off suddenly flickered to life. She squinted. "The light hurts," she explained, shielding her eyes. Stefan frowned and Damon dropped his hold, backing away without much fuss.

"Sorry. Just thought you'd like to see what I'm throwing at you. Here." Stefan tossed the blood bag to Elena, who easily caught it.

"Thanks," she grumbled. "Do I…" she asked awkwardly staring at the thing in her hands. "Do I have to drink it all?"

"No," both brothers immediately answered, in equally serious tones.

Damon and Stefan eyed each other briefly before turning their attention back to the girl.

As the tube popped free, Elena's nostrils flared at the aroma of the spicy, rustic smell of the liquid in her hands. Her sense of smell had heightened, the Salvatore brothers observed.

The smell made Damon and Stefan's head spin. There was nothing like the smell of fresh blood.

"You just need to take a sip, Elena." She looked up at Stefan who was gazing at her with soft eyes. "Only a sip," he emphasized and she turned to look over at Damon, who nodded with a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

She could tell he was trying to make this as easy as possible for her. It made her heart hurt. After all she'd done to him….

Elena nodded and placed her mouth on the tube, hesitating.

_Well, this fucking sucks. If she drinks, she'll be damned like the rest of us. If she doesn't…I'll lose her forever. Could the sword _be _more double-edged? _"It's okay," Damon encouraged her carefully. _Fuck my life. _"You don't have to do this, Elena," Damon told her. "You don't have to drink." _You'll just fade away...I'll be meeting the sun shortly after._

"What are you doing?" Stefan asked, his eyes flitting between the love of his life and his brother. "If she doesn't drink –"

"I'll just fade away," Elena finished for him. The look in both brothers' eyes at her words would've shattered Elena's heart if it wasn't already in a million pieces. "I told you…I can't leave Jeremy. I won't."

Before she had time to think too much on it, Elena placed her lips on the tube and sucked. The red liquid swirled from the base of the bag up into the tube, and then flowed into her mouth.

Elena chucked the bag as far away from her as possible. She fell on her hands and knees to the floor, gagging and choking on what she'd just digested.

Her chest was heaving up and down, her breath coming out in pants.

"Elena." Damon said her name in a voice so full of caution that it made Elena's head whip upwards to reveal deep blue and red veins snaking around her eye sockets.

Elena had done it. She'd completed the transition.

* * *

_AN: So…after the finale, I was floored. By everything. I was floored by Elena's choice, Ric's sad-but-inevitable death, Damon's heartbreaking realization of what said death meant, Darth Bonnie, Matt's drugging Elena, and Rebekah's driving the two of them off a fucking bridge. So many thoughts, I can't even believe it. Joseph Morgan was right. The second the episode ended, I was already wanting more. _

_And so this…is more. If you enjoyed this, or even if you hated it, or would like to see this continued (because there is SO much to continue), then please…review. Leave me your thoughts. Share your opinions on the episode, my writing, this story, anything. I'm all ears – truly. Thank you for reading. ~Kate_

_Twitter: _ThisIsMyEscape_


	2. Chapter 2

**Pairing: **Not Stelena.

**Disclaimer:** Only the plot is mine. The characters are not...unfortunately.

**Rating: **M for language and graphic scenes. You've been warned.

**AN:**_ The response to Chapter 1 blew me away…a week later and I'm still trying to process. I just...wow.__ I'm going to continue this story – for me as well as for all of you. Thank you all __so much for your support._

**Sidenote: **I_ sort of played with both Damon and Elena's POVs in this chapter. Let me know if it's too jarring. I hope you all enjoy this next chapter of "ALTCY." _

* * *

The brothers watched in a state of surprise as Elena suddenly blurred out of the morgue without looking back. They weren't quite expecting her to run. Stefan moved to chase after the young vampire, but Damon shot in front, blocking the only exit.

_Time for us to have a talk, brother. _"Let her go."

Stefan gaped at him, trying to get around the oldest Salvatore. "Elena could hurt someone, Damon!"

"No, she could kill someone," he corrected.

"Which is why we can't just stand here!" He threw his hands in the air. "We have to go after her."

With a roll of his piercing blue eyes, the raven haired man dismissively waved him off. "Oh, come on, Stef. Let her brood. Unlike you, she's actually justified in it." _Her entire world's been turned inside out. She's going to need to be alone. At least for a little while._

"How can you be joking about this?" his younger brother asked, unaware of Damon's inner turmoil. His voice was full of disgust and his eyes were full of rage. "She's just turned into a vampire. I know what you're thinking and you're wrong. She doesn't need to be left alone. She needs us, Damon. Yet, here you are cracking jokes."

And then a look dawned on the youngest Salvatore's face. "Oh, I get it."

Damon sighed in exasperation. "Get what?"

"She decided to turn back, so now you're going to punish her? So childish." Stefan crossed his arms over his chest. "And typical."

Damon restrained the fist that so desperately wanted to throw a punch. His lip curled menacingly as he shook his head in a slow motion. He narrowed his eyes at him. Stefan knew nothing. "No. What's _typical_ is your inability to stand up against Elena, _Stefan." _

"What the hell are you talking about? I was respecting her wishes."

Damon stalked towards his brother. Stefan scowled at him, but he continued to press it. "Your couldn't even protect her." Knowing full well that the next thing he said would push Stefan over the edge, Damon hissed. "You couldn't even keep her alive."

That was all it took for the younger sibling to lunge at him, but Damon quickly countered the move by throwing Stefan up against the wall. He pulled something out of one of his leather jacket's pockets and held the object high in the air as Stefan's eyes went wide with fear; he saw it was the silver stake that could still be used to kill them all. Damon had reluctantly gathered it, leaving his best friend's corpse behind in the warehouse.

"Damon, wait!"

"You let her die!" Damon roared, gripping his brother's neck with his free hand with the strength of a boa constrictor. Had Elena not drowned, Alaric would still be alive, even if he was a soulless monster. He lost his friend and the love of his life in the same moment. He knew she would've died anyway, given her injuries. At the time, however, all he could think about was the fact he had lost two loved ones at once and it was too much to bear.

"Give me one reason not to end you right now."

"You love her, Damon." Stefan rasped out, gripping onto the hand that was strangling him. He was back on the bunny blood, meaning he wasn't nearly as strong anymore.

_Not this time, Stefan. _His hold tightened and the green eyed man gasped for air. He wouldn't be able to use Elena as an excuse anymore. Not when he'd lost her heart to his brother.

"She'll…" he croaked, "She'll never forgive you. She's...she's a vampire now! And never…Damon, think about it!"

Damon just glared at him, not releasing his grip but loosening it fractionally. He also held off on driving the stake through the sandy blonde's heart. "Why?" Damon sneered. "You knew you wouldn't make it back in time, so _why_?" he asked, already knowing. "How could you choose _anyone_ over her?"

"She wanted me to save Matt."

_For the love of God. _"She wanted you to save Matt," Damon mocked angrily. "If she wanted you to jump off a bridge – "

"Damon, enough!" Stefan growled in pain.

He mentally kicked himself for what he said to Stefan about him not being the dumbest brother on Earth. _I was fucking wrong about that. _"I don't get what was going through your head! Sure, okay, _fine_, Elena wanted you to get Matt out of the car. But she drowned to death, Stefan! Why in the _hell_ didn't you think to unclick her fucking seatbelt!" he yelled, once again tightening his grip on his brother's neck. His nails dug into his brother's skin.

Stefan's jaw dropped, unable to respond verbally. For a long moment they just glared at each other. Finally he spoke. He repeated, "Elena wanted me to save Matt. So that's what I did. I saved Matt."

"And you didn't save Elena!" Damon's heart broke as he said the words just as his voice broke when he said her name. Damon peeled his brother from the wall and hurled him across the room, sending him careening into the opposite wall.

A few cracking sounds were heard. Both brothers knew Stefan had broken at least a few bones.

_Good. Now you can feel almost as broken as I feel._

Stefan scrambled to stand up, his bones already healing. Damon lifted him to his feet abruptly and took Stefan by surprise by stopping. He took a deep breath and shook his head, before harshly shoving Stefan backwards, sending him staggering back a few steps. "It's just another eternal difference between me and you, brother. I always protected her," he swallowed, nearly panting from his outburst. "I always put her first."

Damon pushed past him, grunting as their shoulders connected. He left the morgue, leaving a speechless Stefan behind.

_I always put her first. And it still wasn't enough._

* * *

Elena managed to make it out of the hospital without attacking any of the patients, however it wasn't easy. She heard hearts beating everywhere. They were pounding, staggering, struggling to beat...to pump their blood throughout the rest of their owners' body.

The desire to tear into the pulsing, throbbing skin surrounding her made her head spin and her throat burn.

_Oh God, _she thought...This was agony. And it was only then that she realized she would have to face this agony for all eternity.

She'd never known a pull so strong; it almost leveled her. She was so weakened that she almost collapsed, doubling forward to rest her weight on her knees. She watched as tears puddle on the concrete below her. This was too much. It hurt too badly. She was breathing heavily; gasping, fighting to get the scorching sensation in her throat to cease.

"Sometimes it's easier to give in, you know," a velvety voice drawled. It caused Elena to whip around on her heels faster than one could blink. "Trust me on this one."

"No," she whispered. "If I…" _murder someone, _"If I give in… I won't be able to stop. I don't want to hurt anyone, Damon, but I want it." She knew she didn't have to say it, they both knew she was talking about blood. "It hurts how badly I want it."

"I know," Damon nodded. He casually walked toward her, hands at his sides. "It's funny."

"Excuse me?"

"…how blood can quite literally call out to you," he continued, overlapping and ignoring her insulted remark. He shrugged. "It's like a siren's song, isn't it?" Elena swallowed and Damon nodded with a playful gleam in his eye. "No one would blame you if you munched on a few hobos," he smirked.

"Damon…"

"They'd probably enjoy their death if it came from you."

"Damon."

"But you're strong enough," he stated with fierce conviction, turning serious. "You'd be able to stop."

"Stefan can't." Elena voiced her thoughts feebly.

The words made Damon's blood boil. _You're not Stefan,_ the male vampire snapped mentally. "You're strong enough," he repeated. He'd never known anyone so strong. Not even an Original possessed her kind of strength. It would be difficult, all new vampires struggled...but she could handle this new life. She could handle it.

The desolate look in Elena's teary eyes made Damon want to pull her into his arms and never let her go. Sure, she would've stayed human had he been there to pull her out of the water – hell, she wouldn't have been in the water in the first place…but Elena would've died because of her brain hemorrhage due to the fall she took when Klaus pushed her.

"_Hey," Damon asked her gingerly, "You okay?" _

_She nodded, cradling her head in pain. _

"_Come on," he whispered, carefully guiding her shoulders with his hand, as they both watched Stefan sink his fingers farther into the hybrid's chest. He didn't care though. Klaus would be dead soon enough. Damon turned his attention back to Elena and he carefully helped her to her feet "I got you."_

_He didn't take his eyes off her, watching her warily, even as he heard the lifeless thud of the Original's body hitting the wooden floor. He knew it was over, that everything would soon go back to normal, but he also knew Elena needed to go home._

"_You should get her home before the sun sets." _

Stefan: ever the genius, _his mind quipped._

_The two turned around, and Elena stared wide-eyed at the corpse. _

_He was dead. It was over. __Damon nodded in response to Stefan's order, mindlessly reaching for her arm, but Elena was already reaching for his hand. He guided her out of the deadly building._

And then later that day, when he and Stefan were walking Elena to the front door… he shouldn't have taken her word for it.

_Elena chuckled weakly as she stated, "You two are really going to walk me all the way to the front door, aren't you."_

"_You lost a lot of blood today," Stefan explained. As if she didn't already know._

"_Yeah, I know. But I told you I'm fine, I just have a little headache."_

Just a little headache… He should have healed her. Elena shouldn't have even been in this situation. He should have –

"I'm sorry," Elena whimpered, cutting off his thoughts. She winced, clearly feeling the eternal symptoms of bloodlust again.

He knew he didn't want to hear the answer, knowing she wasn't referring to the look that must have been playing on his face. But he couldn't resist. Damon Salvatore was a glutton for punishment.

_For wrapping me around your finger?_ "For what?" he asked innocently, cocking an eyebrow and masking a signature look with a familiar lazy grin.

"You know what. For stringing…" No, she needed to put that sentence on pause. It wouldn't do anybody any good to rehash painful wounds. She shook her head. "Never mind, forget it." Elena bit her lip.

And then something strange happened. _"Forget this," _the familiarly smooth voice in her head suddenly murmured. "Damon," she breathed as a scene flickered into her mind. He was standing there, in front of her, and he looked upset.

Before she could gather any more information, Damon spoke up, sending the image away. "Elena?"

No! She didn't want to lose it, she didn't want to forget. The image was of Damon...telling her to do just that.

He looked at her expectantly, knowing exactly what was going on: a memory was being released. He'd compelled her only twice, and he wondered…dreaded which memory was coming back to her. He watched the confused emotion appear, vanish, and then reappear full force. She looked twice as lost as before.

"What did you remember?"

Elena shrugged as her facial expression went blank. "I'm not sure. Should I be remembering something?" she asked, staring right back at him. "Apparently you told me to forget something. Now, _why_ or better yet, _how_ can someone just forget something after being told to, Damon?" Her voice grew loud, angry, hard. "You compelled me."

Damon watched her, frozen. He'd known her memories of being compelled would return, and he'd known she'd be pissed…but that didn't make him any more eager to have this conversation.

"You compelled me, didn't you?" she asked, her voice hitching furiously. "Didn't you!" Elena's voice cracked and her eyes were now gleaming with unshed tears.

He blinked once, face expressionless, and uttered one reluctant word...

"Yes."

"How could you!" she cried, two droplets spilling over her cheeks. Elena harshly scrubbed them away with the palm of her hand. "What did you compel me to forget?"

Damon shrugged, a pained half-grin contorting his features. He chuckled once, humorlessly. "You'll remember soon enough." He decided to change the subject. The tension was now unbearable and it was too much; he hated it. The only kind of tension he enjoyed with Elena was sexual and this was anything but.

He needed her to relax. As a vampire, Elena's anger was magnified and it hurt Damon to see her that way…and to see it directed at him. Her anger was _because _of him…and he just needed to change the subject.

"How's that bloodlust treating you?" he quipped, turning away from her to get away from her blazing gaze. It didn't let up. He glanced up at the night sky.

_How did everything get so complicated?_

That was easy. He knew the answer to that. _The moment I compelled her to forget who I was a year and a half ago._ He shot himself in the foot by taking the memory of their first meeting away from her, not realizing what Elena would mean to him now.

"_Maybe if you and I had met first."_

Damon knew that if he hadn't compelled her to forget, Elena would have still met Stefan, probably still have fallen for Stefan, and they'd probably still be in the ordeal they were in now…but Elena wouldn't be angry.

Not this angry. And not at him.

"You know, I can practically _feel_ your eyes burning holes into my back," Damon sighed. "Fortunately for me, the only thing that can fry me is the sun. Tough luck, cupcake."

He went to leave the entry way to the hospital, but Elena flashed in front of him.

"No," she snapped.

"No?"

"_No_," she repeated heatedly, veins twisting around her eyes. She felt them rise and she shook her head, letting her arms flop by her side. "You knew how I felt about my mind being manipulated, Damon! How could you just mess with me like that?"

With his next answer, Damon decided that pushing her away would be the best option. The easiest. She'd made her choice, even if it was hard for her. It was Stefan. He'd have to let her go, even though doing so would rip him apart.

He needed to just…make it better, _easier_ for the both of them. "Because it was fun."

Elena gawked at him before regaining her composure. "…Because it was fun," she mimicked. "You are...you are unbelievable."

_I'm so sorry._ He shrugged. "Good." His eyes widened and narrowed before continuing with a feigned arrogance, "I'm living up to the best version of myself."

Elena chewed the inside of her cheek. Her throat was not only fighting a burning sensation, but it was now constricting – fighting back tears. "What happened to you?" she breathed. "You didn't do it for fun, Damon. I know you didn't."

He didn't respond. _Let this go, Elena. It's only making this worse._

"Why did you really do it?" she asked. There was more to the story. Elena knew better than to believe what he was trying to sell her.

Damon looked at her a long moment before vanishing into the night.

* * *

"_You'll remember soon enough," _the recent memory replayed over and over in her mind like a mantra.

"God!" Elena screamed; gripping her hair and clenching her eyes closed. She fell on her knees. Everything was overwhelming her; Damon's lies, his compulsion, her death, her vampirism, her horrid thirst, her love for the two men that wanted to keep her safe more than anything in the world, but had ultimately failed...and her decision to break one of their hearts. It was more than she could take.

The next thing she knew a warm arm was wrapping around her waist and a hand was clamping her mouth shut mid-scream.

"Shhh," Stefan soothed. "Elena, you have to be quiet. Someone could hear you."

She ripped out from his hold. "I don't care, get away from me!" she shrieked.

"Elena – "

"No, just leave me alone, Stefan. I need to be alone." _I need time to process everything. I need time to think._

Stefan hung back, letting her have some brief time. She paced back and forth, chewing her lip and looking obviously troubled. Every now and then he'd check the Emergency entrance to see if he'd need to take her breakdown elsewhere. Stefan waited for her to calm down. "What did you and Damon talk about?" he asked lightly as a means to distract her from her rage.

"Are you serious?" she scoffed, shooting him daggers with her eyes. She looked up at the hospital building, almost to the top. She looked up at an open window. "I can hear that woman in labor, Stefan. I can hear her heart monitor. I can hear people's hearts from a mile away! I hear everything around me! You heard everything. I know you did."

She stopped pacing and closed her eyes, inhaling deeply before letting them drift open.

"He compelled you," he told her softly. "I did overhear…if he compelled you, Elena…" he hesitantly began, "He probably did it for a good reason."

"I don't care about reasons! He shouldn't have made me forget – whatever it is! He knew how I felt about my free will."

"It will come back to you if -"

"_If? _There's an asterisk next to that statement now?" she scoffed at the Damon-esque phrase. "He told me I'd remember, but…"

"You can't," Stefan admitted, testing Elena's anger by walking a few steps toward her. She didn't move away from him. "You won't be able to remember. Not until you calm down. Elena, you really need to get blood in your system. That sip may have completed the transition for you…but it won't satisfy your hunger until you get your fill."

Elena swallowed, licking her lips. She felt like she was starving but she couldn't do it. "I won't feed on humans, Stefan. I won't." She looked at him, staying still as he continued to move toward her. She froze when he took her hand in his.

"You don't have to," he smiled kindly, stroking her hand with his thumb. "I helped Caroline. If you want my help, Elena, I'll give it to you. It's…the least I can do," he stated, his smile drooping into a contemplative grimace. "I'm so sorry."

"Stefan," she sighed, reaching up to touch his face. "I was going to die with or without Rebekah causing the accident. I had a brain injury and I _knew_ I was going to die. I _knew_ Meredith had given me blood." She negated to tell him it was Damon's blood that had turned her. It didn't matter… It shouldn't matter. "I…I wanted her to give it to me. Why else would I have asked for you to get Matt out of the car first?"

"Because you're selfless," he told her quietly.

Suddenly another memory surfaced, and it was enough to make Elena gasp out loud. It was of Damon. He was standing in front of her again, just like before and he was holding her face, staring at her as a tear slipped down his cheek. "_I love you, Elena. And it's because I love you that I can't be selfish with you."_

"Elena."

She was brought out of her thoughts, her eyes glancing over to meet Stefan's anxious gaze. So now she knew why Damon had compelled her to forget. He didn't want to be selfish. He didn't want to be selfish with _her_...but...but there was something else...she had a feeling there was more. She still needed answers.

"Are you alright?" Stefan asked.

The young vampire simply nodded. Smiling, Elena whispered. "I will be."

* * *

_AN: So…how was that? Elena's beginning to remember. What will happen next chapter? I don't want to give away too much, but Elena will be learning how to hunt. Of course both brothers will have their own advice on how to go about it. Now, here's a question for you all: Should I write the other characters into this story (Caroline, Tyler, Bonnie, etc.) or only write the triangle? Oh and by the way, I guess TVD isn't returning until October 4th. How upsetting is that? __Please review and share your thoughts. Thank you again for your support. ~Kate_

_Twitter: _ThisIsMyEscape_


	3. Chapter 3

_AN: You guys rock. Seriously. Your support is overwhelming in the best possible ways. I'm sorry for the delay. The characters were being fickle and then I've been going through some things, but I'm sure you don't want to hear me complain. _

_P.S. Thanks for the opinions on whether or not to involve all of the characters. *grumbles* I really don't like Stefan with Elena. And I don't like Bonnie. At all. She may be referred to, but I don't think she'll show up. If she appears, she'll probably end up dying and I don't want anyone staking me. I'm just going to avoid that situation all together. Kay? Kay. ;)_

_Here is Chapter 3._

* * *

While Stefan walked silently by Elena's side, Elena also kept quiet for much of the walk back home. She was trapped in her own head, trying to get her thoughts together. Stefan kept his distance, taking Damon's words into consideration. He didn't want to leave her alone, but he would give her space.

While Elena's throat continued to sear from thirst, she heard, felt, and smelled _everything. _To say it was overwhelming would be an understatement. And then with memories of Damon's compulsion starting to appear, she wasn't sure how much more she could take.

He'd done the one thing that she had been the most terrified of. He'd manipulated her mind. For selfish reasons or selfless reasons, he'd compelled her, _knowing_ how much she hated it. It was all too much.

There was _one_ thing that would make her feel better, though.

"Jeremy?" she called, opening and standing in the doorway of the damaged house. "Are you –"

"ELENA!" her brother yelled, running down the stairs and toward her at an alarming speed, nearly colliding with her. He picked her up off the ground. If she'd been human, Elena would have died from suffocation.

Thank God. Jeremy was fine. He was never harmed; the Originals had left him alone and he was perfect. "Oh God," she breathed, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly, and buried her face into his neck. Tears stained his shirt but he didn't care. "Jer," she cried.

"You're okay," he beamed. "I'm so glad you're alive." He went to tug her hand to bring her inside but Elena found herself smacking into an invisible wall, yanking her brother backwards. "Elena, what are you…?" he trailed off, turning around with wide eyes.

Elena let out a sharp breath. "No, Jeremy," she sputtered with a shake of her head, wiping her tears. "I'm not alive." Tears stung her eyes but she kept them at bay.

Being alive was the one thing she_ wanted_ to be, and the one thing she could never be again. If only it were that simple…she'd never be able to fulfill any of her dreams. No husband. No kids…

Jeremy looked at her more closely. "Alaric was right…that's why you can't get in. You're a vampire." It wasn't a question. His eyes flitted over to Stefan, who was standing off in the corner. He shot him a glare but quickly looked back at his sister. "Come on in," he hurriedly explained, waving his hands for the vampires to come inside.

She nodded sadly, having missed the look of fury, and continued to wipe the freely flowing tears. "I'm a vampire." The repeated statement as she stepped into her childhood home was quiet, strained. "You saw Ric?"

"Yeah. He showed up in the living room, telling me he'd always watch over me…and then I figured out what he was talking about. Elena, I don't care if you're a vampire," he explained, pulling Elena into his arms again. He kissed her hair and whispered, "You're here. I thought I'd lost you."

Elena's eyes shut while holding him, nuzzling into his neck as if she'd never let the last part of her family go. "I'm not going anywhere. I couldn't leave you alone."

Oh…She inhaled deeply and felt veins suddenly snake around her eyes and her head screamed in hunger. She ripped herself away from him. "No!" she sobbed, stumbling backwards. Whatever state of control she _thought _she had flew out the window.

"Elena?" Jeremy asked, frightened – not for himself, but for her.

Stefan flashed in front of the hysterical Elena, cupping her face. "Elena, look at me." Her eyes were locked shut and she was panicking. "Come on, look at me," he soothed.

The veins slowly vanished as he coached her through her breathing. "Oh, God," she cried. She looked over at her brother. "I'm so sorry, Jeremy."

"I'm fine!" he gestured to himself. "See? I'm okay."

"Please, get me out of here," Elena whispered at the man still holding her face, desperate to get out of her home, and away from the temptation of Jeremy's pulse. Stefan agreed immediately and sped the two of them out of the house.

Jeremy ran a hand through his disheveled hair, pulling out his phone to text Bonnie.

_New Message: _

_To Bonnie:_** Can you come over?**

* * *

Once Stefan had brought Elena back to the boarding house, he had her sit by the fireplace. "Want anything to drink?" he asked, but the brunette just shook her head. "Elena."

"What?" she sighed, looking up at him through blurry eyes.

"You should have something. It'll help with the cravings."

"I almost killed him."

"What?" he smiled sadly. "What are you talking about? You stopped yourself. That was amazing, you did great."

"I almost killed my brother."

"I almost kill mine every day," Stefan joked and Elena gave a small smile.

Soon her lip began to quiver and she breathed a shaky, "I want to talk to Caroline."

"Alright," Stefan nodded and pulled out his cell phone and dialing the blonde vampire's number.

"_Oh my God, Stefan!" _ Caroline shrieked after the first ring. _"I…I heard what happened! Elena –"_

"Elena's okay, Caroline."

"_What?"_

"She's…here." He couldn't exactly say 'fine' or 'alive' because both of those descriptions were false. He paused a brief moment to look at Elena, who was looking down, staring at her hands. "She'd like to see you."

"_How? I don't under-" _she'd begun before the realization hit her like a freight train.

"You need to come over."

"_Of course. Yeah, sure, I'll be right over."_

Click.

* * *

"Where is she?" Caroline asked the moment Stefan opened the front door.

"In the parlor," he said, barely finishing his sentence when Caroline blurred away from him into the other room. Her eyes were wide with tears upon seeing her best friend. She took in the wrecked appearance. Elena's hair was matted and knotted from the water, her clothes stained from the mud of the river. Oh, God…

"Caroline!" Elena exclaimed, flashing over to her and wrapping her arms around the girl.

"How'd you do that?" she asked Elena warily, admittedly in denial of her friend's new…lifestyle. Elena took a step back, bit her lip and shrugged.

"Tah dah."

"Elena turned a couple of hours ago."

The blonde looked up at Stefan, horrified. Her eyes moved to Elena. She nodded and Caroline frowned. "No, no you didn't. This is some really unfunny joke, right? _Right?"_

The girl wiped her eyes and shrugged. "There is one upside…"

"What's that?"

"You're stuck with me for eternity."

Caroline stared at her for a moment. Having a best friend for eons _would_ be awesome. "Have you decided how you're going to…well…you know."

Elena looked at Stefan. "He's going to show me how to hunt animals."

The green-eyed vampire added a proud, "Elena hasn't fed on a human, yet." He smiled warmly at her, though his eyes told another story. He rubbed her neck. "She won't know what she's missing out on, fortunately."

Caroline shrugged. "It may work for you, but the bunny diet doesn't do it for me."

"Care!" Elena gaped at her.

"Oh, come on!" Caroline whined, throwing her hands up. Didn't anybody know her at all? "You know I don't feed on live people's blood! Damon's blood bags work just fine."

The brunette visibly relaxed. "Are we going tonight?" She looked to Stefan for the answer and he nodded.

"We'll have to. You don't have a Daylight ring."

Daylight ring…sunlight. Without one of those rings, she'd have to wait until the sun went down. She wouldn't be allowed to enjoy the warmth on her face, would never be able to enjoy the look of sun kissed skin again. She'd be a slave to the sun…

There _was _a way to make sure she could enjoy it, though. Just one. And that required magic.

Magic…

"Oh, God," Elena sighed. "Bonnie. She doesn't know."

"We'll tell her later," Stefan said quietly. He knew Bonnie would be devastated at the news of Elena losing her humanity, but Elena's hunger was priority. "Right now, though, you need to feed."

"I am kind of hungry," Elena admitted sheepishly.

"I'm sure you are!" Caroline beamed. "Let's go." Her voice was enthusiastic. She was determined to stay optimistic for her, and it helped immensely that she got to keep at least one of her best friends for eternity.

* * *

The three of them surveyed the greenery of the woods around them. Birds, rabbits, squirrels, foxes, the vampires could hear them all. "So…" Elena drawled contemplatively. "I just…snatch and feed?"

"Mhmm. It's really easy," the blonde explained lightly. "You just focus in on the closest heartbeat, and…go in for the kill." She bit her lip, "Poor choice of words. Sorry."

Elena's eyes widened; she was stuck on one word. "Heartbeat? How can you tell if it belongs to a human or not?"

"The heartbeat," Stefan answered quickly. "Animals have a much faster heart rate than people do."

Elena pressed her lips into a hard line. She wasn't sure about this.

"I'll help you this first time, though," Stefan smiled encouragingly. "Just in case."

Caroline smiled. "Yeah, we won't let anything happen to you. Don't worry."

She nodded and the three made their way farther into the woods. "Ready?" Stefan asked.

"Here goes nothing."

"Just focus."

Elena stared straight ahead, closed her eyes, and concentrated intently. When she heard a quick, but steady thrumming, her eyes snapped open and glanced at the two vampires. Caroline nodded, giving her the green light.

"It's animal."

Elena shot after the sound like a rocket.

Catching the fox had been easy enough, but she just stared at the creature awkwardly. Stefan's eyes danced with humor and the blonde started giggling.

"Why are you laughing?" Elena asked, panic lacing her voice. "Stop laughing!"

Caroline covered her mouth to stifle her bubbly outburst and smiled widely.

"What am I supposed to do now?"

The blonde gave her a look. "You drink!" she paused. "Actually, be nice and break its neck. _Then,_ drink."

"Oh, God, Caroline, I can't do that!" She looked at the cute face of the animal in her arms. "I can't snap its neck. I can't kill it!"

Stefan's look of amusement returned, and he brushed his nose, trying to hold back a snort.

Caroline looked annoyed. "You're going to drain it of its blood, Elena. You're gonna kill it anyway." She blurred over to her friend and reached out for the fox. "Here," she snapped the furry creature's neck before Elena could blink.

"Caroline!"

"What?" she asked defensively. "Now it won't be suffering when you drain the blood out of its body."

Elena stared at the dead little fox. She felt her stomach roll, but the burn in her throat won out. She felt her fangs descend, and while it felt as though blades were cutting their way through her gums, the only physical response she gave was a small, pained hiss.

"It gets better," the blonde promised. "Go ahead. Bon app_é_tit." She smiled sadly.

Elena looked at her meal for a moment. She sank her fangs into its fur, penetrating its flesh and started to suck the warm liquid. She was only able to gulp three times, however, when her stomach flipped and she dropped the deceased animal. Elena flashed behind a large tree and retched.

Stefan winced and flashed behind the tree to hold her hair back.

"Oh, Elena... Are you okay?" Caroline called, frowning.

"No," she groaned. "How do you handle it? You guys survive on blood, but it's…it's terrible." Her stomach heaved once again.

"I should've grabbed you a bunny," Stefan sighed, before stating matter-of-factly. "Their blood is a lot sweeter. Foxes always have a bitter aftertaste. I usually avoid them, but you needed to catch your first meal on your own."

"Thanks for the warning," Elena muttered, wiping her mouth and combing back into view, stepping around the tree. "Blood from a blood bag tasted better."

Caroline nodded, shooting Stefan a worried glance. "I know it did, but you have to be careful with that stuff, Elena. Live or packaged, it can be addictive…right, Stefan?" she asked, reluctantly meeting his gaze again. Just because Caroline and Damon could feed on blood bags without going all Ripper-Vamp didn't necessarily mean Elena would have the same ease.

He stiffened, narrowing his eyes at her. "Thanks for that."

"Touchy touchy," the blonde scoffed with a roll of her eyes. "Elena needs to feed. Try another blood bag, but you'll need to drink more than three gulps. It won't do jack squat for you."

"If blood from a blood bag makes her feel better then I'll go get her some. Meet me at the boarding house." Stefan vanished before Elena had a chance to stop him.

"He's struggling with this," she whispered, sitting on a broken log and wrapping her arms around herself.

Caroline sighed and walked over to sit by her friend. "Of course he is. Think about it; ten hours ago you were smiling, breathing, and very much alive…and now you're not." Elena flinched but Caroline hugged her. "But, I'm here. Stefan's here. Okay? _We're_ here for you. We know it's hard, but it gets better. We love you, Elena."

Elena nodded, trying to force back her tears by staring up at the sky. She let out a shaky breath. "I know." Caroline gave her a look of doubt and she held her hands up. "I _know,_ Caroline. Sue me for being a little…freaked by this whole thing; I'm new at this."

"Come on, let's head back to the boarding house," the blonde smiled, slipping her arm through Elena's. "Guess what?"

"I'm sure you're going to tell me," Elena retorted with a smile.

"I know you think this is the worse thing ever...but it's not." She gave her friend a genuine smile and winked at her. "Come on, let's go eat."

Elena smiled in return, but maneuvered out of her friend's grasp. "I'll meet you there, okay? I want to just…I don't know, _be_ for a couple minutes."

"Sure," Caroline nodded. "See you later!" In a flash she was gone, leaving Elena by herself to explore the forest with a new set of eyes.

* * *

Stefan was rummaging through the basement cooler, trying to find a blood type that would appeal to Elena. He couldn't remember which blood type she'd sipped back at the morgue. Was it O negative? Or AB positive?

"Hi, Stefan."

His head snapped up and saw a blonde vampire waving back at him. "Searching for preferable blood types for Elena?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I can't remember which one she's tried. I think –"

"Well, I like O positive. But that's me."

Stefan grabbed the one he thought Elena would like. "AB positive it is then." AB positive always put him in a better mood…

"Stefan?"

His eyebrows jumped, signaling for her to ask whatever it was she had on her mind. "I know a lot has happened in the past twenty-four hours, what with Klaus dying, Ric too and…and the whole Matt deal, but…I wanted you to know that I don't blame you for what happened to Elena." She paused before adding, "I mean…if you had pulled Elena out of the car, Matt would be dead." Tears flooded her eyes. "And he's not. He's okay. Thanks to you."

"Caroline," Stefan said sadly. "He _would _have died. I only saved him because Elena told me to. I couldn't save them both."

Her throat tightened, and tears streamed down her cheeks. "I know that…but still. They're both here, not dead because of you. Well, not totally dead," she laughed tearfully and Stefan smiled, but only a little.

He approached her and wiped her tears away. He held up the blood bag. "We should head upstairs. Elena's probably waiting for us."

Caroline nodded quickly. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right."

He reached into the cooler again and threw her a bag. Caroline looked down and smiled. O positive.

* * *

Everything was so much greener, brighter…crisper. She could see every defined line, every wrinkle in every leaf and hear every gravelly shift of dirt from underneath her feet. She closed her eyes, taking in the aroma of damp earth.

Then she noticed something different. The wind had picked up, but only slightly. The temperature had dropped, what she had guessed, two or three degrees. Looking up, she saw clouds rolling in; the deep blue shade of the sky taking an even darker color.

"Looks like rain," a velvety voice drawled. This time Elena didn't jump. She'd heard his footsteps and so she simply dropped her head to stare into the oceanic blue eyes that were staring right back. "How's it going? Kill Bambi, yet?"

"Worse," she explained with a ghost of a smile playing on her lips. "I killed Todd."

Damon gasped. "You didn't." He clutched at his heart dramatically. "Elena, how could you?" he asked before he couldn't fight the tugging of his lips pulling upward.

Elena ran a nervous hand through her hair. _Leave it to Damon to twist the knife a little bit._

"Hey," he said a bit more seriously, but still managing to keep his tone light. "Don't worry about it. Your first kill, whether it talks _or_ barks; it's going to be tough on anyone."

"It was disgusting," Elena made a face. "Damon, I…I don't know how they do it. I don't think I can again."

"So don't," Damon shrugged. "Feed on the people stuff."

Elena stiffened. "No."

"Elena, I didn't mean on people whose hearts are still beating. You _can _survive without having to kill people. Blood bags are the emphasis of my statement – f.y.i." He held his hand out to explain, "Which, means for your –"

"I know what it means, Damon," Elena rolled her eyes. _Smartass_. "And Stefan…" she said quietly, looking away from him and finding a squirrel about eight yards away. She stared at it as if it were the most interesting thing she'd ever seen.

Damon let out a deep breath. "You know…this is going to have to stop."

"What?"

"_This,"_ he stressed, gesturing between the two of them. "This tension crackling like an electrical storm…It isn't us."

Elena cocked an eyebrow. "It isn't?" It was felt every time they were around each other.

"Well..." he waggled his own. "It kind of is." And then he scrunched them together. "Wait a second, you made it clear there was no _us_."

Elena swallowed. "There….there isn't."

Rain had begun to fall, the droplets sounding like chimes as they danced on the vampires' faces. Lightning flashed in the distance.

He snorted. "Okay, then. You're right. You've made that abundantly clear. You enjoy that blood bag." Damon went to leave but Elena grabbed his arm with a surprising amount of strength – something he'd have to get used to. The rain continued to pitter-patter on the greenery around them and Damon reluctantly turned around. "What."

Thunder clapped in the distance and Elena sighed. "You were right."

"I'm…what?" he smirked. "I'm sorry. I missed that."

Elena glared at him. "Are you _looking _for me to hit you?" Just as she asked the question, it happened again.

"_I want you to get everything you're looking for. But for right now, I want you to forget that this happened."_

Oh, shit. Damon looked at her, knowing she was struck with another memory. "So…what was it about this time?"

"I'm not sure." She paused, looking at him intently. "Damon…can I ask you something?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, can you?"

"Damon."

"Fine." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Shoot."

She inhaled deeply, before sharply exhaling, as if to prove a point. "If…I asked you to just…_tell_ me what I'm going to remember….would you?"

_Jesus, really? First she chooses Stefan, now she wants me to willingly torture myself?_ "Thanks, but no thanks." Time to change the subject. "Anyways, referring to what you were saying before - I'm always right and yet no one ever listens to me. But, what was I right about this time?" His smirk morphed into a full on grin and Elena rolled her eyes.

"Never mind. I wish you didn't have to be such an ass all the time."

"_I wish you didn't have to forget this…but you do." _Elena froze as another memory flickered into her mind. That was completely different than the last one. He'd made her forget twice? "Twice…"

"What?" he asked harshly.

"You compelled me twice," she choked out, taking note of his rigid stance. "Damon…"

"Is any of it making sense yet?" he asked through a locked jaw.

"If it was, I wouldn't be asking you to explain them to me!" she cried.

"FINE!" he roared, making Elena jump. "You wanna know what I made you forget? And you're gonna get a kick out of this. We met first!" he shot in front of her, glaring and eyes blazing. "How ironic is that," he spat. He felt like an idiot. He shot himself in the foot that night without even realizing it.

"_Can't have people knowing I'm in town yet."_ The memory entered Elena's brain and it lodged itself there. She'd remembered. He was honest with her about the reason.

And then it came rushing back, all of it. He'd mistaken her for Katherine.

"_Katherine." _

"_Um, no." _Who? _"I'm Elena."_

"_Oh. You – you just look…I'm sorry." _He'd approached her cautiously, with a dazed look on his face. _"You just really remind me of someone. I'm Damon."_

Oh, God…he was gorgeous. But she'd stayed alert, trying to ignore the attraction she already felt for the charming man in front of her. _"Well, not to be rude or anything, Damon, but it's kinda creepy that you're out here in the middle of nowhere."_

"_You're one to talk. You're out here all by yourself." _His voice was enticing…

Elena's heart raced at the sight of the man with hair as black as midnight, continuing to approach her. His leather jacket screamed danger but it simply enthralled her all the more. And being out on the road wasn't dangerous. _"It's Mystic Falls. Nothing bad ever happens here."_ She had sighed, feeling the weight of her problem in her hand, remembering the reason she'd strayed out onto the road. She held up her phone. "_I got into a fight with my boyfriend."_

"'_Bout what? May I ask?_" He'd seemed genuinely interested, by the way he held up his hands, showing he didn't want to push her.

"_Life. Future. He's got it _all_ mapped out."_

"_And you don't want it?"_

"_I don't know what I want."_

Damon shook his head at her. _"Well, that's not true. You want what everybody wants."_

"_What?"_ she asked, and her heart thrummed in her chest. She was smitten. "_A mysterious stranger who has all the answers?" _she'd smiled coyly.

Damon laughed once, smiling and looking away from her as if trying to figure out what to say to that. Elena assumed he hadn't been ready for that sort of comment, but he came up with a response on the fly. "_Well, let's just say I've been around a long time. I've learned a few things."_ He'd scrunched his lips together and nodded playfully.

"_So, Damon…tell me. What is it that I want?" _she challenged with a flirtatious grin.

He stepped closer to her._ "You want a love that consumes you. You want passion, and adventure. And even a little danger." _He was drawing her in. There was no denying it.

"_So…what do you want?"_ she'd asked, surprised to find that he looked caught off guard; once again thrown by her question. He gave a breathy exhale when they heard a horn.

"_That's my parents,"_ she smiled, turning to look at him, momentarily startled to find him just inches from her face. She watched as his pupils dilated as he gave his answer.

"_I want you to get everything you're looking for. But right now I want you to forget that this happened. Can't have people knowing I'm in town yet. Goodnight, Elena."_

"Oh, my God," Elena breathed, staggering backward with a hand covering her mouth as tears welled. It didn't matter that they'd met first. Not really. But what did matter was the attraction she'd felt, and a strong one at that. She'd fallen for him. He was exactly what she'd called him – a mysterious stranger…and he'd made her feel something so strong she hadn't known what it was until now.

Before she had the time to comment on it, Damon moved forward and gripped her shoulders, "And because I had to go and be noble, you had to forget that I all but waved a white fucking flag by pushing you towards Stefan! I said he deserved you. And I didn't."

"_I don't deserve you, but my brother does."_

"Damon…"

"And you know what killed me? I knew that I was doing it again! I knew how much you hated the mind-fucking experience of being compelled, Elena. God, I knew that and I hated it. But I couldn't put that pressure on you…not when I'd just got you back. It wasn't fair to you."

"_And it's because I love you…that I can't be selfish with you."_

"And I'm sorry, alright? I couldn't do it, Elena. I was going to explode if I didn't tell you. I _needed_ to tell you." His voice broke with emotion. Emotion he didn't want to show, but he was tired. He might as well get everything off his chest and then he could shut it off…or _try_ to move on…_something._

"_I just have to say it once. You just need to hear it."_

Everything from that night flooded to the surface, and she gazed at him. "I remember."

Damon nodded slowly. "Everything?" he asked, and lightning made part of the forest light up, illuminating the night. It was followed by another crackle of thunder. The rain was pouring as they continued to stare at each other.

"Everything." He was towering over her and she was blinking back the water out of her eyes as she stared up at him, both from tears and from the rain.

"Good. So now I don't have a reason to feel guilty anymore."

"I'm still pissed you compelled me."

"I know," he answered in a small voice, his voice barely being heard over the rain.

"And you are still a jackass."

Damon shrugged with a smirk. "First-rate."

"Very funny." She crossed her arms over her chest and Damon leaned against a tree. Maybe they _could _learn to be friends after this. "What?" she asked, seeing he was staring at her with an expression she hadn't seen from him yet.

"Nothing. I'm just reveling in the immense relief I'm feeling." His words were honest but his eyes and voice held a familiar snark. "So…" he explained with a slight smile.

"So…"

"Let's get out of the rain, shall we?"

Elena nodded and together they went back to the boarding house.

* * *

"Where's the boyfriend?" Damon asked dryly, flashing his eyes at her. The expression and tone made Elena second guess her previous assumption. It was obvious he was still affected by her decision.

"Right here," Stefan explained as he and Caroline appeared out of nowhere. He stepped closer to Elena and she looked at the bag in his hands. "I thought you could try some AB…"

"Blech," Damon gagged. "I'm an O negative kind of guy." He looked at his brother and couldn't fight the curling of his lip. He was still pissed and rightfully so.

"Easy, Damon," Elena sighed, squeezing his arm. She took the blood bag, shooting Damon another warning glance to knock it off; Stefan was only trying to help. "Thank you, Stefan," she smiled. She popped open the bag and took a sip.

It was a lot better than the fox, but it wasn't as good as the previous bag she'd downed. She continued to drink and Damon looked at Caroline.

"Hiya, blondie."

She raised an eyebrow. "What."

Damon made a face. "Nothing. How's the boy toy?"

"Tyler? Fine…"

"Because I saw him and Bonnie right before I caught up with Elena."

"What?" she asked, frowning. "Why?"

He knew Caroline wasn't the jealous type anymore, and he wasn't trying to rile her up, but Damon didn't appreciate the fact that she still didn't trust him around Elena. As if _he'd _ever hurt her. The brother she did trust him with got her killed. But truth be told, he did want to know how Scooby was still alive since Klaus had died.

"I thought he was supposed to be dead. Klaus being dead is supposed to equal a dead Tyler."

"Well, he's not." Caroline huffed. "Thankfully."

"Yes, thank _God."_ Damon rolled his eyes and they landed on Stefan pressing a kiss to Elena's lips, who was surprised by the lack of...emotion she felt by his touch. Damon ground his jaw at the sight before shaking it off. "I'm…gonna go."

Caroline watched as he disappeared into the night and Elena pulled away from the green-eyed vampire, hearing a wisp of air and realizing the company had dwindled.

"Where's Damon?" she asked, looking around the room when a familiar tension disappeared. The four had been in the foyer and Elena looked around the parlor, but Damon was nowhere to be found.

Caroline shrugged while Stefan stayed quiet. Awkwardly, the blonde rocked back and forth on her heels. "Don't know, don't care."

* * *

_AN: So…I'm thinking of giving Damon a play thing next chapter. LOWER YOUR PITCHFORKS! It's not what you think. I'm thinking of having our second favorite blonde appear next chapter…and Damon's going to want to have some fun with her – take that however you want. Elena remembers everything. And she was overwhelmed by it. She remembers the initial spark between them and everything else. Yay! Guys, we'll start to see the dissolve of Stefan & Elena's relationship next chapter. I haven't written them all ooey-gooey because, well…isn't it obvious? There's something missing, and Elena realizes it. ;) Please review and share your thoughts. Your support means so much! ~Kate_


	4. Chapter 4

_AN: Oh. My. Delena. Thank you so, so much for your kind words and encouragement. Every review is like a little gold star…or a cookie. *debates* Hmm...yeah. We'll go with that. Every review is like a cookie and you're making me fat! However, I have zero complaints. Enjoy the chapter, loves. It's dedicated to each and every one of you. Thank you, Mariah and Carol for looking over this for me! You're amazing. ~Kate_

* * *

Elena was waiting eagerly for Bonnie deliver the ring that would grant her the reprieve she yearned for after being trapped in the boarding house. She'd once again be able to walk barefoot in the grass and feel the warmth of the sun on her body. Her fingers were drumming along the armrest of the leather couch.

She knew she had to be patient; it wouldn't be too much longer now.

She just wanted to go outside. She'd stuck her hand out, into the sun's rays that shone through the window earlier that morning - apparently she needed proof of what would happen if she gave into her keenness. Quickly learning her lesson, Elena reeled back in pain when it felt like it had been soaked in acid.

She watched as her skin cells repaired themselves, and quickly too. As she waited for her friend, she thought back to her brother's phone call.

Jeremy called to tell her that he'd let Bonnie in on the news, and once she'd had her breakdown, the witch got to work on spelling the ring that would protect her from the sunlight. He'd desperately wanted to see her, to see how she was doing…coping…but Elena had turned him down. She didn't trust herself, not with the last family member she had alive. She wouldn't willingly allow him to put himself in harm's way. And right now, she felt she was a ticking time bomb. One slip-up and she could lose him.

Elena faintly heard a gentle knocking on the front door, but she didn't make a move to answer it. She was far too focused on Jeremy, about how she'd need to rethink everything; how to keep him _safe_. She was a blood-thirsty vampire now…she couldn't even comfort her brother without wanting to drain him dry. Her mind screamed to stop that night, but her body betrayed her; it was a traitor.

She swirled the blood around in her glass before taking a sip. It had quenched the dull ache in her throat. Setting the tumbler down on the coffee table with a soft thud, Elena had somewhat of an epiphany and she gave one short laugh - she seemed to be having a lot of those eye-opening moments as of late.

Elena realized that Damon had been right. She'd gone forty-eight hours without hurting anyone. Granted, she had been trapped in the Salvatore home for those two days, but even small victories were important at this point in her transition.

She smiled, remembering how his eyes flashed in that familiar way. Drinking out of bags wasn't the best, but _"It's tastier than chomping on the forest critters," _he'd mused.

"Elena?"

She looked up at the soft voice and was met with glassy eyes. She watched as the color drained from her friend's face that said it all: another friend turned, another life damned.

Bonnie cleared her voice, but it was still quiet. "I let myself in…"

Elena hung her head and fiddled with her fingers. "Hi."

"Jeremy told me you needed a Daylight ring." Elena nodded, and when she looked up, Bonnie was the one to be met with glassy eyes, tears escaping and slipping down the new vampire's cheek. "Oh, Elena, I'm so sorry."

She walked over to Elena, but the vampire quickly rushed backwards, smacking into the wall behind her because of the sadness that morphed into something she was still growing used to. _Oh, God, not you, too. _She was shaking her head, her eyes stinging with tears; she felt one let loose down her cheek when she felt veins being to warp around her brown eyes.

Bonnie frowned and reached into the pocket of her jeans and held up a small silver ring with a tiny, oval-shaped blue stone. "Here," she whispered with a wary look in her eyes.

Elena's lip quivered, cautiously reaching to remove the piece of jewelry from her finger's grasp. "Thank you." Her voice was strained.

"Lapis lazuli. As long as you wear it, the sun can't hurt you."

She nodded, remembering when her mother had yanked the stone away from her neck and watched as Isobel burst into flames. Another memory of Damon being forced out of the decrepit house appeared; the one where the witches were burned. The way his flesh seared and burned and the way he hissed in pain would forever be engrained in her mind.

Elena was well aware of what would happen if she chose to leave the house without that ring.

Slipping the silver accessory onto the middle finger of her right hand and then held it up to the light. "I'll have to get used to this, I guess."

"Funny," Bonnie laughed sadly, "Caroline said something along those lines when I made hers, too." She took a step toward her, but Elena stepped back again. "What's wrong?"

"You," she whimpered. A flash of hurt and confusion flickered over the witch's features and Elena immediately started to shake her head. "I'm sorry...that's not what I meant. Your blood, Bonnie." Her throat was on fire, and her fangs were painfully begging to break through. "I already fed, but it's still tempting."

Bonnie nodded and bit her lip, but not out of fear. She warned, "Elena, if you hurt anyone – "

_Hurt anyone? _"I won't hurt anyone," she snapped. "I won't. I swear."

"You can't promise something like that!" Bonnie cried.

"What? You think I can't stop myself from attacking someone?"

Bonnie shook her head. "Every vampire has made a mistake, slipped up, and caved in. Caroline fed on Carter. Stefan…well, no need to go into how many times he's fallen off the bandwagon. And Damon –"

Elena rolled her eyes. "Caroline was brand new to the lifestyle, she didn't mean it. Stefan struggles – no one's perfect. And _Damon, _Bonnie, really? He's the most controlled vampire I've ever met!"

"Seriously? He chomped on Bill the second he had the chance. He's killed hundreds of people, probably thousands. Damon's a monster."

"He only attacked Bill because he was trying to prove a point, Bonnie!" Elena snapped, feeling her eyes tingle and swirl with veins once again. She breathed through the anger, waiting for her fangs to retract "He was trying to prove a point," she repeated, her voice softer the second time – oh, another epiphany.

Damon had never, ever, _not once_ lost control with his bloodlust. Elena thought back to the night where Klaus had taken blood from her, using a compelled nurse to do the process for him. When she'd opened her eyes tiredly to find Damon holding the IV tube in his hand, she found him staring at it, mesmerized by the sight of the blood.

However, he'd been in total control, of that she was sure; veins weren't even wrapping around his eyes. And when she'd whispered his name, he immediately snapped out of whatever trance he'd been in without any hesitation.

He'd never been a monster but that was the façade he chose to show to the world. He never flaunted his good deeds because he knew what would happen if he did. People would misunderstand them and punish him, or they would begin to expect them. Lose-lose.

"_Why don't you let people see the good in you?" _she remembered, tossing in bed to face him. He couldn't even look at her when he said:

"_Because when people see good, they expect good…and I don't want to have to live up to anyone's expectations."_

Rose…and the fact that Damon had compelled her to dream about a peaceful scene in her last moments to keep her from the pain and fear of death when he didn't have to; he'd cared about her.

Relieving Rose of the agony she was going through…that was something that _proved _Damon wasn't a monster.

He killed because it was a way to kill the pain, a way to bury his humanity because he knew he'd never get it back. He compelled Elena to forget every selfless confession, because he wasn't ready for her to know there was something more, something other than the façade that he was, in fact, a monster.

Knowing meant expecting, and expecting meant…

"I have to go," Elena suddenly said, realizing she'd drifted off. She glared at Bonnie, and though she was pissed for her lack of support, she was grateful for the piece of jewelry on her hand. "Thank you for the ring, Bonnie."

She vanished with the speed of a bullet and Bonnie was left dumbstruck. "What the_ hell_ was that about?"

* * *

Damon found himself standing on Wickery Bridge, staring at the twisted and rusted metal guard rail that had failed at keeping Matt's truck from careening over the side and into the depths below. The way Elena had described it, Rebekah had been standing dead center in the middle of the road in what might as well have been a game of chicken. However she was unmoving, causing Matt Donovan to lose control as he swerved to avoid hitting her…with Elena in the passenger seat.

He felt his blood boiling. He could practically hear the crash, the sound of wheels screeching, the truck hitting the water with a loud splash. His thoughts and imagery of that fateful night were brought to an abrupt stop after hearing one word, "Damon."

His eyes snapped up to see Elijah standing before him. His eyes blazed. "What the hell do you want?" Damon sneered.

"I stopped by Elena's home the other night. Her brother told me she wasn't comfortable with staying there because she was afraid of hurting him." He paused before continuing. "I'm assuming she's staying at the boarding house for now; she's turned." The statement was just that – a statement. There was no pitch change that signaled Elijah had been asking a question. The Original knew.

_Of course he did,_ Damon's thoughts grumbled. "Yep," he snapped, popping the 'p.'

"How?"

Damon's eyebrows jumped. "What, you didn't hear?" His voice kept its edgy tone, but it wasn't as harsh as before. "You don't know," he stated, realizing by the look in the Original's eyes, that Elijah really was in the dark about what had taken place just a few nights before.

"It was Rebekah's fault," he explained roughly. "She killed Elena."

Elijah was silent for a moment before narrowing his eyes at the blue-eyed vampire. "You're lying."

Damon let out a short, humorless laugh before shaking his head. "Okay, fine, if I'm lying, then where is blondie Bex?" He snarled, "Where the hell is she, Elijah? Huh? I haven't heard from her in a while. How about you?"

Elijah's brows furrowed as he thought on it. He snapped with, "You're _lying!_ She wouldn't kill Elena. She knows I would never– "

"Oh, come on!" Damon shouted back. "You know how much she hated Elena! You _both_ knew what would happen to Alaric if she died!" his voice broke, his emotions betraying him briefly. He'd accepted Elena's fate as a vampire, but that didn't mean he had to like it. "It was a win-win for her!"

Elijah's lip curled at the memory of that fateful night. "She told me something…I didn't think – "

"You didn't think _what?_" Damon growled. "Didn't think you'd be signing Elena's death…_non-_death warrant by letting Rebekah go? She killed her, Elijah! Elena's dead!"

"Living dead," he frowned.

"Shut up!" Damon yelled with wide, enraged eyes. "That's not the point! The point is that your sister has a _target sign_ the size of Texas on her forehead, and when I find her, she and I are going to have one hell of a dance."

Elijah nodded. "I understand your rage, Damon."

"You understand _nothing."_

"Tatia."

Damon scoffed. "I don't want to hear about yet another look-alike, okay? What does she have to do with anything?"

"Love is a vampire's greatest weakness," the Original explained. "I've lost a doppelganger, too, Damon."

Damon looked away angrily, not wanting to hear anymore. He grunted. "Yeah, well, on the upside Elena's still around."

"Ouch," Elijah grinned a bit at the statement. "I knew she turned. However, I didn't hear the reason behind the crash. Now that I have, I want you to wait before you attack Rebekah."

"You can't stop me."

"Watch me," Elijah challenged with a small, sad smile. "I mean you no harm, Damon, but I will not let you go after my sister. Do_ not_ go after her. Not yet, anyway. Wait. Be patient."

Damon grunted in annoyance. "I can't make any promises. Patience was never my strong suit."

"I implore you to trust me."

"Yeah? And why the hell should I wait? The sooner I end her life, the happier I'll be."

"Because I'd like to have a word with her." His dark eyes were serious, and his tone, deadly. Elijah meant what he was saying; Damon could see the fury in his eyes.

Good.

Damon couldn't fight the pleased smirk that plastered itself on his lips. "Even better."

* * *

Elena went to the one place where she could think, the one place that strangely enough brought her solace. Finally, she was able to enjoy the sunlight on her skin, the warmth making her body tingle with a comforting delight.

She sat down by the graves that read _Miranda Gilbert _and_ Grayson Gilbert. _They were situated across Jenna's, John's, Isobel's and Alaric's tombstones. They needed to be buried together; they all were her family. Not all of them by blood, but in every way that mattered. They'd all affected her; they all had a place in her heart, which was now twisting in agony.

"It isn't fair," she sobbed, sitting up on her knees and staring at the concrete plates jutting out from the ground. She wiped away the tears that kept flowing, taking a look at the tombstones of her family. "You should be here with me…all of you." She swallowed thickly, and knew that maybe, had things been different, some of those people buried wouldn't be buried.

Maybe, had she treated John a little kinder, been honest with Jenna a little sooner, kept her mouth shut about Ric stepping up and taking over the parental role…maybe they'd still be alive. Maybe she and Jeremy wouldn't be alone. Maybe, in some far-fetched but seemingly logical idea to her at the time, Maybe Elena would still be human.

Her eyes stung painfully, knowing that maybes were all she had.

And they weren't doing her any good. She muttered a quick, but meaningful apology to all of them and stood up, dusted the dirt off her knees and shuffled through the cemetery. Her head was throbbing from her crying and she just wanted the pain to go away.

She felt her phone suddenly buzz in her pocket and saw she had a new text message.

_New Message: _

_From Jeremy:_** I miss you. Are you OK?**

Elena breathed in deeply, and closing her tear-filled eyes. She knew how alone he must've been feeling. She couldn't imagine what he must have been going through. Elena wanted nothing more than to race home, wrap him in her arms and promise that everything would be okay, that they'd get through this together.

But how could she possibly promise such a thing to Jeremy when she wasn't even sure if she believed it herself? She'd been living this new life of hers by the hour. Elena had no idea what would happen when a human crossed her path, or if she would accidentally step too close to one, or if the wind blew just the wrong way while they were standing nearby. Maybe Bonnie was right.

Maybe she would make a mistake, but again, she couldn't focus on maybes.

She knew she needed to try to get it together, for her brother. Jeremy might've been the man of the house, now…but he needed his sister. She wouldn't abandon him, she wouldn't hurt him. She'd fight. She wouldn't let her bloodlust get the best of her.

Disregarding her own fears, she sent a brief response to Jeremy.

_New Message: _

_To Jeremy:_** Coming home soon.**

Elena blurred out of the morbid area and crossed the bridge where so much tragedy had occurred when she suddenly stopped mid-stride.

Damon.

Her heart sped up as she smelled the scent that was lingering in the air; it was fresh. And surprisingly, it was free of booze…and abundant in something else – something crisp and tangy, like that of a ripe orange. Had he always smelled like that? Her senses were a lot stronger now so obviously she'd be able to pick up the scent more clearly. It was mouthwatering and Elena knew he must have just left; she'd missed him by only a few minutes.

Someone she hadn't missed, however, must have been watching her. "Elena?" a smooth voice called and Elena turned around to see Elijah standing before him.

"Elijah," she breathed shakily, her mood switching instantly. Her stomach dropped at the sight of him. This man had promised her she'd be safe.

Look at how wrong he'd been.

"Elena, I –"

She shook her head. "No. Save it," she snapped, effectively cutting him off. "You told me to trust you and I did. And look what I've got to show for it." She angrily threw up her hand, and her new Daylight ring shone brightly in the light.

The Original sighed, nodding curtly. "Rebekah will pay for this. I promise you."

"You promise me?" she bit out_. _"You know," she laughed bitterly. "You've given me your word – twice. And they've been shot to hell – twice."

Elijah nodded, his eyes softening. "I'm terribly sorry, Elena. I never meant for you to be harmed."

"You know, you say that, Elijah and I don't even know what to do with it!" She blurred up to him and cried, "I can't do anything with an apology! It's an empty word, just like your promises. The way I see it, I'm doomed to live through eternity with the likes of you and with your psychotic sister who's almost as obsessed with Damon as she is with making sure I suffer for daggering her. Fantastic!" she hissed, but Elijah didn't even flinch.

The moment those words left her lips, however, her eyes widened in realization – yet another. She needed to stop being so surprised by those.

Was it jealousy that was knotting itself deep in the pit of her stomach? Sure, she'd been miffed when she found out Damon had slept with Rebekah, and hurt when she learned it was out of malice… but full-fledged jealousy?

"I cannot reiterate enough how sorry I am," Elijah explained softly, somehow making it graceful as all of his words so often did. "I _do_ promise justice for you, though."

"Justice?" a voice chimed from behind Elena, making her whirl around and instantly feeling her cheeks burn with fury.

The new vampire's eyes darkened, veins swirled and fangs elongated. "You," Elena hissed. Suddenly she was seeing red and lunged for the blonde. Swiftly, Rebekah darted behind her brother for shelter. "You did this to me!" she screamed.

"I had to," Rebekah answered while her eyes twinkled with something recognizable – hate. "It had to happen for Alaric to die."

"And let me guess," Elena panted, and she was barely aware of the fact at how hard she'd been breathing. "My misery is just a side benefit?" Her fists were clenched so tightly, her nails were breaking the skin of her palms.

"Oh, Elena –"

"Rebekah, I'd shut it if I were you. We'd like to stop cringing with _every word_ that comes out of your mouth," another voice suddenly cut in harshly, and Elena immediately relaxed. A tentative smile played on her lips and she turned to see a dark-haired man casually leaning against the bridge, arms crossed and an ankle resting against his other one.

"Damon –" She paused. What was she asking of him? Elena wasn't sure she even knew.

"No, Elena." Apparently Damon did. He began walking towards Rebekah. Pointing to her, Damon warned menacingly. "Blondie, you need to leave – now." His eyes darkened and his lip curled, as if too further intimidate her.

The blonde rolled her eyes. "You don't really expect for me to be frightened of you, do you?"

"You killed Elena, and you almost killed her friend. If you're truly not afraid then you're an idiot. I should throttle the living daylights out of you."

Elijah nodded in agreement, but stepped in front of the two bickering vampires before it escalated any further. "Enough." He turned to look at his sister. "Both of you. Rebekah, you and I have a lot to discuss. Go home."

"But –"

"Now." He was leaving no room for argument. "I'll meet you there shortly. Go." The Original's sibling merely huffed, pouted, and blurred out of their sight. Elijah's eyes found Elena's and he took one step toward her. "We have a lot to discuss and I apologize once more, but right now…I need to have a stern discussion with my sister."

Elena shrugged coldly, shooting him an icy glare. "You do that. It's not like I'm not standing in your way."

"Very well." Elijah was also gone in the blink of an eye, her hair moving with the breeze of his departure.

Damon lowered his head to gauge Elena's reaction. He'd never seen her lose it before. Her breathing was ragged and her pulse was racing. She was far too quiet. Her shoulders might as well have been icebergs when he gripped them to make her turn to face him. "You okay?"

"Am I?" she laughed feeling ten shades of panic course through her. "Are _you_? Are any of us?" she murmured, her eyes shining. "Don't," she barked, shirking away from him. Damon's arms dropped to his sides and he watched as she began pacing back and forth.

"Uh…"

"Well?"

The blue-eyed man's brows furrowed in confusion. "Elena…"

"_What?_ I have somewhere to be, Damon. I had somewhere to be when Elijah came out of nowhere and then that homicidal bitch showed up." She let out a sharp breath and her fingers gripped her head. "God! I hate feeling like this!" she cried, her shoulders now shaking with angry sobs.

Damon's heart stopped. "Like what?"

"Like what? Like _this!_" she exclaimed, gesturing forcefully to her own chest. "Pissed, terrified, horny, sad,…_hungry,"_ she stressed.

"Horny_, _huh? Sounds like a personal problem…" he smirked, trying to make light of the situation. _Relax, Elena. You need to relax…_

"Shut up," she growled through her tears. "Teach me how to turn it off."

Damon blanched. "I can't teach you anything if I'm not allowed to speak," he quipped nervously. She couldn't honestly be asking him to do this.

"Damon!"

"What? Elena – "

"I know you know how. You've done it before. It's possible! Do it." He was shaking his head before she got out her further explanation, "_Please_, Damon," she begged, droplets continuing to spill from her eyes. "It hurts and I want it to go away! Please just _teach _me."

Damon swallowed thickly and approached her, nodding when she didn't move away. "I'll tell you what," he breathed, once again placing his hands on her shoulders, giving them a firm squeeze. "I'll teach you how to shut off your emotions, along with all the _other_ perks of being a vampire. If you decide it's still not worth it to feel all the crap," _the only reason I feel shit is because without feeling I'm _lonely_ as shit, _"then you can flip the switch. I'll leave it up to you."

"My choice?" she whispered. Was she hearing him correctly? Could her vamp-hearing malfunctioning? _Damon_ was going to let _Elena_ decide?

"Your choice," he nodded seriously. "You can take care of yourself now, but I highly doubt you'll want to shut it off after you learn what I've got to show you."

Elena couldn't help but smile at the statement. It almost sounded like a dare. "Challenge accepted."

"Besides, it's not like I could compel you to keep your emotions intact." He saw her flinch and hurriedly backtracked. "Too soon. Noted."

Elena's tears dried and she checked her phone to see she had another text from Jeremy asking when she was coming over. Elena embraced the feeling she got when she thought of her brother; she couldn't wait to see him.

"Is there any chance your first lesson is going to be how to avoid snacking on family members?" she asked lightly, though her question was serious.

"Is Jeremy still drinking vervain?"

Elena pondered _his_ question for a moment before nodding, remembering. At least she thought he was…why wouldn't he be?

"Tah dah," he quipped. There was her answer. Obvious as ever, but at least now she knew it would be easier to avoid him. Had she taken a bite out of Jeremy two days ago, she would have been writhing in pain.

"But, I couldn't even smell it on him. I should've been able to smell it, right?"

Damon shrugged. "Not always. If the trace is light enough you don't even notice it until your lungs are burning." _Fucking Mason Lockwood…asshole._

Elena frowned. "Sounds pleasant."

"The best feeling in the world," he quipped, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "If you want to go home and check on Jeremy, you don't need to worry. You won't hurt him, Elena."

"I almost did…" she said sadly.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Well, that was _before_ you remembered he was ingesting vervain. I'm sure that'll help out your self-control only a _lot,"_ he smirked and Elena smiled in response.

"How do you do it?" she asked. The feelings of despair having almost disappeared; she felt a lot better now. He always knew what to say to get her mind off what was upsetting her.

He was caught off guard by her question, nearly having to do a double-take. "Do what?" his smirk grew. "Amaze you?"

"Basically," she nodded and one of Damon's brows jumped.

"Well, it just comes with the package."

"Right," Elena laughed shortly before sighing. "But, really…what is it about you? You've always been able to calm me down without even trying."

Damon's stance relaxed a bit and held out his arms. "What can I say?" he replied, all signs of bravado gone. "I know you, Elena."

A long moment passed before Elena quietly told him, "I need to get home. Jeremy's waiting for me."

"Alright." His oceanic eyes searched hers, taking yet another step closer to her. He bent his head to really look at her. She looked fine, but then again she was a vampire. It wasn't as easy for him to gauge her reactions as it used to be. "You sure you're going to be okay? I mean, I don't have to worry about you going suicidal or anything do I?" he smirked to elevate the mood of his solemn question.

"Yeah," she answered quickly with a nod of her head, her eyes dropping slightly to stare at something very familiar and she bit her lower lip. "I just need my brother."

Damon's half-grin grew, knowing very well what she was staring at. _You're the one who gave me up to be with Sir Regrets-A-Lot._ "You know, if you're having second thoughts…" he drawled.

Feeling his eyes continue to burn holes hers she looked back up at him. She inhaled deeply. "I…what?" she blinked, flushing. "No. Of course not. When are you going to show me the ropes?"

"Whenever you want," he answered, letting Elena change the subject. He wouldn't antagonize her...he'd just relish in that lingering stare. Her eyes had always locked onto his lips. Whether it was lust or something else…wait. Something else? No. She chose Stefan. But, she _did_ say _"I can't think about always."_ And that was a decent jumping off point, right? Deciding against pushing her he said, "Go see Jeremy and then we'll take it from there."

"Okay…thanks, Damon," she smiled shyly, letting out a deep breath. It was one she felt she'd been holding since she woke up to this new life.

Damon's eyebrows wavered in confusion. "For what? Being awesome? Well…you know what they say. You can't spell awesome without 'me.'" He winked when Elena rolled her eyes, and then he was gone in a second before she could respond.

"No. Thank you for knowing me," she mumbled quietly.

* * *

Elijah stormed into the room where he knew his sister would be waiting. "Rebekah," he called. "Rebekah!"

Flipping through a sports magazine, Kol was the first sibling seen. He looked distracted though, boredom was the cause for this action.

"Elijah." Rebekah was smiling contently and reading her own magazine from her spot on the couch.

"How could you?" he asked sternly. "What were you thinking?"

"Honestly, sis. You've got him in knots," Kol grinned.

"I only took care of a problem and saved our lives." Rebekah turned the page to her magazine but Elijah roughly yanked her to her feet.

"And killed an innocent one in the process," the Original roared. _"What were you thinking?"_ he repeated, stressing each word.

"Elena is hardly the epitome of innocence! And killing Elena was the only way to get rid of Alaric." Elijah shook his head at her. "Besides, it's not like she's permanently dead. She has an eternity to look forward to!"

"An eternity of _misery,_ Rebekah! You cursed her to this hellish life; she didn't want this. None of us did!"

"Well, it's better than being dead."

The man gaped at her. "I cannot believe we are of the same blood. You know as well as I do how horrific it is to take life as a means of keeping your own."

Rebekah recoiled as if she'd been slapped. "I did it to _save us_, Elijah. She was collateral damage. I did what I had to do to make sure we survived."

Kol shrugged. "Well, I have to say_ I'm_ thankful."

"Be quiet, Kol!" the siblings scolded in unison. The younger brother rolled his eyes and left the room. The tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife.

With it being just the two of them, Elijah's jaw locked and he spoke through gritted teeth. "You should know, Damon Salvatore, if and when I give the signal to proceed, will be after you in a heartbeat."

"As if he can harm me, brother; Damon's a child. He can't hurt me."

"Oh, I believe he _can_."

"What?" the blonde breathed. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I went to the warehouse where Klaus was killed. Alaric's body was greyed and the stake he used was nowhere to be found. It stands to reason that Damon took it."

"And?"

"_And _if you don't leave town – _now_ Rebekah…you will be sorry. All I have to do is give the word."

"You wouldn't…"

Elijah kept completely stoic, and he had one thing to say. "I suggest you leave Mystic Falls."

* * *

Elena opened the door to her home and walked inside. She looked around, really looked around, and saw nothing but memories flash before her.

Catching Alaric with a bowl of Chunky Monkey, had been embarrassing when she'd realized he was stark naked.

Jenna calling Damon hot and Elena shooting down the compliment with the reply, _"He's an ass."_

Watching Jeremy rush toward her and wrapping his arms around her after he learned she was alive.

She heard a shuffling come from upstairs and she snapped out of her thoughts. "Jere?" she called, placing a hand on the bottom staircase post.

"Elena!" Jeremy flew down the stairs but Elena threw up her arms so she could keep her distance. His blood was already calling out to her, but she stood strong. _I won't hurt him…I won't hurt him… _"You're back," he smiled. "I was afraid something happened."

"No," she shook her head. "Well, nothing you need to worry about." Jeremy took a step forward but Elena backed away. "I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't hurt me, Elena." _"You won't hurt him, Elena."_ The brunette pressed her lips into a tight line and allowed Jeremy to proceed. He pulled her into his arms and she kept from inhaling. Yes, her head was pounding and her stomach was screaming at her, but she wouldn't hurt him. Her protectiveness dominated her hunger in this moment. After a second he pulled away, brushed a strand of hair behind her hair and grinned. "See? I knew you could do it."

Elena's heart flooded with relief and she nodded. She kept from inhaling too deeply and made her way into the kitchen. She opened the fridge and was pleased to see three bags of O-Negative on the top shelf. "Jere? Did you do this?"

The boy laughed. "Nope. That was Damon. Said he had a feeling you'd prefer this over the AB positive."

"Oh?" she smiled, taking one of the blood bags out of the refrigerator.

"I guess," Jeremy shrugged. "He seemed to get a kick out of it."

With a roll of her chocolate eyes, she replied. "I'm sure he did."

* * *

_AN: Eh…so I may have fibbed a bit. Bonnie ended up making an appearance…and Damon never got to have his fun with Rebekah. Anyway. A lot happened this chapter, no? _

_Questions to ponder: Will Elena shut off her emotions after Damon shows her what he considers the advantages to being a vamp? How will Stefan respond to that, Elena wanting Damon instead of Stefan to teach her how to 'turn it off'? Will Rebekah leave Mystic Falls? And we haven't seen him, yet, but what does Klaus hosting Tyler's body mean for Forwood? We know that Klaus would try to take advantage of the situation…_

_Please review! You are my muse! _

_Follow me on Twitter for spoilers/updates: _ThisIsMyEscape_


	5. Chapter 5

_IMPORTANT AN: I can't tell you how sorry I am for the lateness of this chapter, but I recently found out there was a health scare in the family where my sister nearly died. Her mother deliberately kept this minor detail from me (no, we don't get along) and I've been so pissed off lately that I just wasn't in the place to write this story. A lot has been going on. Please forgive me for taking so long? Please? With Damon on top?_

_Thank you so much for your reviews! I, like a few other authors I know, re-read them when we need inspiration. I think you'll be happy to know that this chapter is _strictly_ DE-centered. I think it's time we progress a little bit…or a _lot_. To be honest, I'm extremely nervous about this chapter. It's my favorite to date and I love it so much. I hope you all feel the same about it. Enjoy! ~Kate_

**_***Note: I _****DEMAND****_ YOU LISTEN TO THE FIRST SONG THAT PLAYS DURING THE GRILL SCENE WHEN IT'S MENTIONED. DO IT. It makes it…well, you'll see. ;)_**

_PS_

_Thank you, Mariah - my SUPER FABULOUS beta!_

* * *

The next evening at sundown, Elena heard an incessant tapping on her bedroom window. Sitting on the edge of her bed and reading her old diary that she no longer kept up with, she pretended that she couldn't hear him. _Just go away. Please…just go away._ All Elena wanted was to be left to her thoughts.

She should be so lucky.

Wreaking havoc on her ears, the repetitive sound made her flash over and practically rip the window off its tracks. "Will you knock it off?" she snapped.

Greeting her with a lopsided grin, Damon drawled. "Hello, Elena." Seeing her little booklet of thoughts lying on her comforter, an eyebrow shot up. "Whatcha' doin'?"

"Just doing some reading," Elena shrugged, walking over to her bed and picking up her diary. "The things that seemed so important then don't seem as important now." Sitting back down on the edge of her bed, she sighed.

Damon sat down beside her, keeping an easy distance. "You're wallowing," he decided. "I can't have you wallowing."

Furrowing her brow, Elena argued. "I'm _not_ wallowing."

"Oh, yes," he insisted. "You _are." _Shooting up from the bed, annoyed by her silence, Damon stood in front of her. "So. You've spent an entire twenty-four hours with baby Gilbert. How'd the brother-sister reunion go?"

"Fine," she replied, smiling at his question and the memory of the night before. "We really needed it."

"Popcorn and movie night?"

"No," she shook her head. "Well, Jeremy had popcorn. I snacked on some of it, but mostly I drank those blood bags you left in the fridge. Thank you for those, by the way," she added shyly, fiddling with her hands where they rested lightly in her lap. "You didn't have to do that, you know."

Damon scoffed in response. "Please. As if I was going to let you drink shitty blood. Baby brother has _zero _taste when it comes to type. You and I on the other hand, enjoy the best. You're lucky you have me." He winked, earning him another small smile.

Elena blushed and nodded. "Well, thank you."

"Yeah, yeah." He waved away her appreciation with his hand before changing the subject, "_So_…are you ready to experience the outstanding perks of being a vampire?" Elena nodded, and Damon was relieved to see the excitement in her eyes. "Good. Remember how I said you wouldn't want to flip the switch when I showed you what I have to show you?"

"Yeah, where are you going with –"

"I'm getting there, Little Miss Impatient," he said, rolling his eyes and gesturing for her to follow him. "Come on."

Elena's eyes went wide as Damon headed for the open window. "Out there?"

He gave her a look. "Yeah? Where else?"

"But out that way?" Elena clarified.

"Lesson numero uno," he explained, holding up a finger. "Jumping."

"Jumping?"

Damon chuckled. "You know that thing that happens when you bend your knees and –"

"I know what jumping is, smartass," she huffed. "I just think that it may be a little extreme."

"Extreme," he repeated incredulously, struggling to keep in mind that Elena was a newbie, still thinking of herself as exclusively human.

_Time to prove that theory wrong._

"Are you paying attention?" he asked, backing away from her toward the window. Elena nodded mutely, joining him at the window. She watched as he climbed out onto the ledge, gripping the framework. "You'll be surprised to know your joints can handle a_ lot_ more now." His voice sounded suggestive and Elena was about to comment on it, but then he jumped. Elena gasped and the next thing she knew she found herself on the ground next to him before she could blink. "See?" he smirked. "Not so hard."

"I didn't even realize…" she murmured, trailing off as she looked back up at her bedroom window. "Wow."

"You'll have reflexes and strength with or without your emotions, Elena," he admitted, blurring over to his Camaro. Holding the door open he said. "Get in."

"Where are we going?"

"Out," he explained, a mischievous look igniting his bright blue eyes. Climbing into the car, Elena didn't question him as they drove toward the heart of town.

* * *

They stopped before they reached, what_ she_ thought was their destination. Exiting the car, they approached a dark alley way. "See that idiot over there," Damon asked, pointing to the figure walking alone. "I'm going to teach you how to feed without all the mess."

"I'm not going to feed on him!" she cried out, completely horrified. "I thought you said…I mean, what about the blood bags?"

"What happens if you run out?" he retorted before adding, "You need to learn control, Elena. The sooner, the better. Besides, I'm not going to let you hurt him," He made a face. "Well, you _will_ hurt him, but you're not gonna kill him."

"How can you be so sure?" she demanded, desperately wanting to believe him.

He tilted his head at her in a way that calmed her. "Because I wouldn't let you live with that kind of guilt."

"Isn't that what the switch is for? So I don't have to worry about it?"

Damon frowned briefly before masking it with indifference. "Yeah," he admitted. "But…that thing is more like a surgical strike. Call it a last resort." Placing his arms on Elena's shoulders, he pointed her in the direction of their future meal. "But never you mind, Vampy. I've got your back."

Leaning in close, Damon whispered in her ear. "Get ready." His breath whispered over her skin, making the fine hair on her neck stand on end as she fought the urge to shiver. Calling out to the man, he jogged at a human pace to catch up. "Excuse me! Do you mind?" he asked, and without waiting for any sort of reply, he compelled him to stay put and keep his mouth shut. "_Elena_," his velvety voice called, and he looked over his shoulder to bat his eyelashes at her flirtatiously.

Elena scowled at him, but approached the men.

"Now," Damon began, slipping an arm around her waist. "Place your fingers on his neck." She did so without complaining, surprising him with her obedience, but he pressed forward. "Feel his pulse?" Elena nodded, already fixated on the throbbing vein beneath her fingertips. "Go ahead," he ordered softly.

Elena bent down and placed her lips on his jugular. Licking the vein that would be the source of her meal, she gave him a soft kiss on his neck. "I'm sorry," she whispered, throwing her head back and lunging forward, fangs extended to pierce the man's skin. She wasted no time in sucking her first taste out of his veins.

"Good girl," Damon encouraged. "Careful," he warned, seeing the man grip her shoulders in an attempt to fight off his attacker. He wasn't worried about the weak prey hurting her; he was worried about Elena's clothes getting stained. "Make sure not to suck too fast. You don't want blood to squirt everywhere. Be classy about it."

Placing a hand on the small of her back, Damon felt a stirring of pride - not that he'd ever doubted her. Doing as he'd told her, making no mess as she took her time, Elena let out a little moan that made his groin ache and he clenched his jaw. _Keep it under control, Salvatore, _he thought as the sight and sound of her giving in and feeding like she was supposed to made his desire skyrocket. _She's not yours. _

The man's grip on Elena's arms slackened, signaling to Damon that it was time to intervene. "Alright. That's enough," he murmured, pulling her away.

"No," she breathed, lunging at her prey. She wasn't done. She needed more. "It tastes so good."

"I know, Elena, but you're gonna kill him."

"I don't care," she whispered, looking up at him through her lashes, veins snaking and swirling around her eyes. She licked her lips, and dragged her teeth over her lower one. "I _need _it."

"No," Damon growled, yanking her away and blurring her over to shove her against the nearest brick wall with the force of a freight train. Elena thrashed under his weight, roaring in fury.

"GET OFF ME!"

"NO!" Damon yelled back, holding her down until she stilled in his arms. She was panting angrily. "You done with your little hissy fit?" he demanded, earning him a literal hiss from Elena just to piss him off. Pushing her harder against the wall he brought their bodies into intimate contact from head to toe. Smirking dangerously, he attempted to shock her into submission. "You know, if you wanted rage sex…all you had to do was ask."

Elena nibbled on her lower lip, squinting at him in apparent contemplation and for a moment, Damon thought she was considering his offer. _God, please let her be considering it, _he thought in a moment of desire and weakness. Her eyes darkened, but she visibly relaxed, clearly waiting for him to release her. Snapping out of his delusional state, he loosened his grip. _What the fuck am I thinking?_ he thought with chagrin. Of course she wasn't considering it. _She'd chosen Stefan._

The second he stepped back, Elena once again darted for the weakened man in the alley. "I said _no_!" Damon roared, furious that she'd tricked him. _That little… _"Elena, knock it off! You don't want to kill the guy do you?"

"I don't care - let me finish!" Elena snarled, red-eyed as she shoved the heels of her palms into his chest. Beating against him she screamed. "I wasn't finished!"

"Oh, trust me," he grunted, easily keeping her in place and away from the half-dead mass less than ten feet away from them. "You're done."

"Damon," she cried, her voice cracking in her desperation and making his heart twist painfully. "It hurts. My throat hurts, I'm still hungry, I need more!" she babbled crazily, still fighting against him.

"I know," he said sadly. "Relax. Breathe through it."

Elena narrowed her eyes at him with an expression of betrayal before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

Refusing to be duped again, Damon held her in place and watched her carefully. _Fool me once shame on you,_ his mind sung, but as the veins from Elena's eyes began to recede, he hesitantly relaxed his hold. Looking over his shoulder, he saw her previous plaything lying on the ground, barely moving. Turning his attention back to Elena, he asked warily, "Can I trust you to stay put? For two seconds?"

She seemed to consider it for a split second before offering him a nod that Damon chose to believe. Flashing over to the heap on the ground, he fed him his blood to heal him. Hauling the sandy blonde to his feet, Damon caught his eye. "_You will never be so idiotic as to walk alone in an alleyway again. You won't remember being attacked or anything from tonight. You'll go home, watch some Conan, and pour yourself into bed. You will sleep and tell everyone you had a crazy night. Because you did_," he added with amusement; he couldn't help himself.

"I'm going to sleep and tell people I had a crazy night," the man parroted back. "Because I did."

"Atta boy," Damon snickered, heading back to Elena. "Not bad for your first time," he quipped after spinning around to find the brunette standing a heartbeat away from him. "He's alive."

"He almost _died_," she said, staring at him in shock in her tear filled eyes.

Damon shrugged. "He didn't, though. Did he? He's alive and well."

Elena closed her eyes as hot tears slid down her cheeks. "I thought you said this would make me want to keep from flipping the switch. It didn't," she choked out. "I can't do this, Damon."

"You can. You just have to take it easy and be careful," he assured her, reaching out to touch her wrist, but she shook her head.

"I don't know if I can."

"You can," he insisted, hooking a finger under her chin and offering her a genuine smile. If there was one person who could handle being a vampire, it was Elena. He knew she could do this, with the right guidance. "Time for the second lesson."

"Like what, how to compel someone?" she asked sarcastically. He raised a brow, as if she was some kind of psychic, and she gaped at him. "No!" she shook her head vehemently. "No, Damon. This is where I draw the line."

"I think you've already crossed it," he pointed out.

"I have, haven't I?" she realized, her eyes widening in horror. "The man…"

"Don't _worry_ about him," he pressed. "Forget about it. He won't remember a thing."

"But I will. I'll remember almost taking his life."

"Again," he sighed in exasperation. "You _didn't_." God, her compassion must've been the trait to amplify as a vampire. _Fantastic_. "Are you ready for your next lesson?" he asked, annoyed with this revelation. He'd have to work even harder to get her to accept her new life.

"I guess," she muttered.

Damon rolled his eyes. _I guess that's better than a flat-out no. _"So, how're you feeling?"

"Like there's still a part of me that doesn't want to feel anything."

"M'kay," he answered, deciding that he was going to make that fickle little part disappear completely. "We're going to the Grill."

"Why?"

He spun around, waving his hand for her to follow. "Don't ask questions. Move it or lose it."

* * *

Approaching the Grill, Elena peered through the window. Whistling, she said nervously, "Wow. It's busy."

"It's a Friday night. Of course it's busy, come on," he urged taking her hand and pulling her inside. As he scanned the room for their first guinea pig, someone else broke through his concentration.

"ELENA!" a male voice jovially cried out from the other side of the room. They turned to find Matt approaching. "Oh my God," he sighed, taking her in his arms and pulling her close. "I'm sorry, Elena. So, so sorry. I should've been paying closer attention. I should've – "

"Easy, Donovan," Damon warned, stepping in between the two of them. Elena was able to handle Jeremy, but having Matt so close so soon could prove to be detrimental to her progress and he wasn't going to risk it. "She's fine – as you can see."

"She's _not_ fine," the blonde argued, shaking his head vigorously. "She's a vampire now. She's not fine."

"_She's_ right here," Elena huffed. "Are you kidding me right now?"

"Sorry," the two men apologized, one sounding genuine and the other sounding annoyed.

"Matt," she said softly, touching his arm. "I don't blame you, okay? Not at all."

"But – "

"No 'buts,' Matt," she insisted, facing him and holding his gaze intently. "Don't blame yourself. Stop blaming yourself."

"Elena…" he argued. "If I'd just paid attention –"

"_Stop_," she demanded roughly. "_It's not your fault._ _There was nothing you could have done. We're both okay. Stop blaming yourself for what happened._"

"I'll stop blaming myself."

"What?" she asked with wide eyes, quickly releasing him from her hold. "What did you just say?"

"I'll stop blaming myself," he chuckled, scratching his head with a smile. "It's not my fault. There was nothing I could've done."

Elena shot Damon a look, but he just shrugged; he was as floored as she was. He'd been planning on teaching her how to compel people….well, _that_ idea was shot to hell since she just taught herself by accident. "I'll be right back," she hastily told him, pushing through the sea of people and making her way to the bar. "I'll take a beer," she told the bartender.

"Sure," the woman smiled. "I.D.?"

Elena cocked her head before leaning forward and murmuring. _"You don't need my I.D. You won't ask me for it again. Give me my beer."_

"I'll get you a beer," the barista chirped, turning around and kneeling to grab an ice-cold bottle. "Here you are."

Already seated beside her, Damon couldn't help staring. He was honestly miffed at how easy the little trick had been for her to learn. "Huh."

"What?" she asked, contemplating the bottle before taking a swig. "What's wrong with you?" she asked airily, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. "I thought you'd be happy with not having to teach me one more thing. You're right though, this is fun."

"Glad you're entertained," he remarked before ordering his own drink. "I'm surprised that was so easy for you."

"I'm a quick learner. I saw you compel that guy in the alley. Didn't look that hard," she shrugged, biting her lip as she turned to him. "I felt bad for compelling Matt, though. I didn't want to do that…I didn't mean to do that."

"I know," he said, taking a swig of his own beer and flinching internally at her distress. He knew that having her mind played with was the one thing she hated most, but compulsion was a skill she needed to learn. If Elena ever found herself in trouble, or found out by anyone not already on vervain, she'd need to learn how to make them forget. "But, he was beating himself over it. You did him a favor."

She scowled. "Yeah, by mind-fucking him."

"Do _I_ have to compel you to forgive yourself?" he joked, chuckling at the terror in her eye. "I wouldn't do that even if I could. Only Originals have that little talent."

"Speaking of…" she started, but Damon cut her off quickly – mostly because one of his favorite songs had just started playing: The Kills' "Future Starts Slow."

He turned his head, excited by the drums that were thrumming in the background. _Now,_ this _is great fucking music. _"I don't want to talk about them, Elena." He added quickly. "None of them."

"Maybe I was too harsh with Elijah, I don't know." She looked at him. "Do you think I was too harsh? I think I might have been too harsh."

He cocked a brow at her before shaking his head in exasperation. "Don't worry about it. Let's go," he said roughly, pulling her off of her bar stool with a yank of her arm.

"What are you –"

"We're gonna dance," he told her with an easy smile and a gleam in his eyes. "Don't look at me like that. I'm going to show you what you'll be missing out on, ya know, should you decide to flip the switch." This wasn't even about _him, _necessarily. This was just about feeling and letting go and having fun...she couldn't do that if she had no emotions. He cleared his throat. "Besides, you can move and I happen to like this song."

Hesitant and perplexed, she stared at him for a moment before allowing a small smile to play on her lips. Letting him grab her hips, she placed her hands on his as well. Something indescribable and electric shot through them both, like two sparking live wires dancing on contact.

Swallowing thickly, Elena tried to pry his hands off as she stated breathlessly. "What if...Matt? I don't…I don't want Matt to get the wrong idea."

Tightening his hold, he smirked at her. "It's not like we're fucking, Elena. Don't have a conniption." He bent his head, staring right into her eyes. "Now if you don't mind," he added, drawing her closer. "I'd like to dance."

With that definitive statement, he began swaying back and forth to the rhythm of the music, letting the seductive beat course through his body, guiding his movements.

_No longing for the moonlight, no longing for the sun. _

_No longer will I curse the bad I've done. _

_If there is a time when the feeling's gone, I wanna feel it…_

Leaning into him, Elena found herself moving of her own accord, unable to control her body's natural response to him. They connected like magnets, unable to resist the pull – when she tried to retreat, he advanced and to her surprise, she didn't stop him – she didn't want to. _Oh my God,_ she thought – the _only _coherent thought she could form upon feeling _every_ part of his body – hard, muscled chest, gyrating hips and lean thighs – pressing into hers. Her arms traveled over his chest to wrap around his shoulders as they moved back and forth, their pace increasing in fervor.

_You can holler, you can wail, _

_You can blow what's left of my right mind…_

The intense song and the power of their movements caused Elena to lose her breath. She could only gasp quietly when he separated her legs with his knee in order to make it easier to move. She couldn't help responding. Before she knew it, Elena was grinding against him in circular motions and gripping Damon's leather sleeve with a white-knuckled fist.

"Easy," he warned, trying to make it sound like a warning, but it came out as a harsh pant. He was pleased with her response, but if she ruined his jacket, he'd be _pissed._

Elena's breathing grew heavier, accentuating the sensual rise and fall of her chest as she listened to the lyrics. Damon's perpetual smirk disappeared, his attention focused solely on the euphoric feeling of Elena's body rolling and grinding with his.

_There's a time for the second best…_

She melted into his arms, more relaxed in them than out of them, as his lust – _love –_ addled brain fired off a few coherent thoughts. _Go ahead, Elena. You let yourself go into a tizzy. I'm enjoying it immensely._

Loosening her death grip on his sleeve, Elena didn't pull away, keeping her hips moving in time to his. Damon rested his forehead against hers, their breaths mingling as their eyes locked and held. He couldn't look away, wondering how long she'd let this sensual foreplay go on before she bolted.

_Forget vampire powers, now, you're getting a _taste_ of what you're missing out on, period_.

"Elena?" Slammed back into reality, Elena jerked out of his arms. Groaning, Damon glared at Matt, who was staring at them with big, blue eyes. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Hi, Matt," Elena greeted him with a bright smile, seemingly unfazed by his sudden appearance. Damon licked his lips, reluctantly backing away.

"What are you doing?" he asked again, gawking at Elena and standing directly in her line of vision. "I thought you and Stefan –"

"I was getting ready to say goodnight to you. _Damon and I just were having a drink._ _Go back to bussing tables_." Her pupils dilated as she waited for Matt to mimic her words.

"You two were just having a drink. I have to keep bussing my tables, but I'll talk to you later. Night, Elena." Matt turned around, returning to his work, while Damon smoothed out his jacket.

"Damn," Damon whistled, bringing her attention back to him. "I knew you could dance. I mean, Miss Mystic Falls runner-up and all, but you've been holding back, Elena. If I'd known –"

"That was close," Elena frowned, clearly agitated at having to compel Matt again. "We were lucky he didn't have vervain in his system." She paused, her brow creasing in confusion. "Why doesn't he have vervain in his system?" she asked worriedly, panic evident on her face at the realization of compelling him twice without a problem.

"Probably hasn't ingested it since the accident. Relax, we'll get him back on it." Damon said, shrugging it off. Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar On Me" started to play and he grinned. "Round two?"

"No," she shook her head. "No."

_And here comes the guilt. "_Why not?"

"Damn it, Damon, you _know_ why not!" Elena cried in frustration, bolting from the Grill before he could respond. He chased after her and the music bumping from inside the building had faded, as well as Damon's humor.

"Well, great job, Elena. You put on quite the show back there," he snapped, dropping the lazy, flirty act as he caught up to her. "You felt something."

"I don't know what –"

"Don't _give_ me that _bullshit_," he sneered, keeping pace with her easily. He'd been willing to help her, willing to be the teacher and let her run back to his brother when the lessons were over, but after what had just happened, all bets were off. Damon knew what would happen when she finally turned around. "You_ felt_ something, Elena. We both did."

Stopping suddenly, she whirled around to glare at him. "So, what if we did? It's not like we can do anything about it. I'm with Stefan."

"You've been _with Stefan_ for the past year and a half," he argued, sick of the same tired excuse. "That hasn't stopped you from kissing me three times and grinding against me like a cat in heat less than ten minutes ago."

Speechless, Elena stared at him.

"Same fucking song, different goddamn verse," he exhaled sharply. "There will always be this _thing_ between us, and until you admit it –"

"I did!" she yelled, but Damon snorted.

"No. You said 'no matter what I feel for you.' You left me alone that night. You bailed because you were afraid of just how _much _you felt, Elena –"

"Is that so wrong?" she demanded, cutting him off again. "The way you love me is so much bigger than anything I've ever experienced, Damon! What the hell am I supposed to do with that? I don't _know_ what to do with it!"

"And you won't," he replied, closing in on her. "Not until you quit running from it," he added.

"Damon –."

"I love you. You know that," he continued. "And what happened tonight will keep happening until you admit that you love me, too."

Elena shook her head, shooting daggers at him through glassy eyes. "I DO!" she screamed, to Damon's utter shock. "I love you, Damon! I realized it the second I tried to let you go. I shouldn't have let you go and I'm sorry." She didn't bother to wipe her tears as her voice cracked. "I'm so sorry, Damon...but there's nothing I can do because I'm with Stefan!"

"You love me," he scoffed, refusing to believe it. "Right."

"I cared enough to not put you through the ringer anymore," she frowned.

_This is ridiculous, _he thought, struggling to find a sense of balance within Elena's see-sawing confessions. Finally, he demanded. "Do you still love Stefan?"

"Of course I do." Elena retorted without pausing to think.

Damon cocked his head and asked seriously. "Are you still _in_ love with Stefan?"

Elena's face fell even more as she dropped her gaze. "I…" she hesitated, searching for the words. Suddenly, her eyes widened and her gaze snapped back to his. There was confusion in her dark brown gaze, but also truth. "No. No, I'm not," she stated with finality that was laced with a sort of awe. "I'm not _in _love with Stefan. Not anymore."

He blinked. _What the hell? _"Then why the fuck are you with him?"

"I don't…I don't know," she whispered. "I guess I felt like we owed it to ourselves. Stefan and I were forced apart when Klaus took him, and then he compelled him to flip the switch," she shook her head, sorting through her thoughts. "And then I turned and…now, I don't know."

"You don't love him anymore, but you _do _love me, so…what the hell are you doing?" he asked, searching her eyes, trying to figure out the answer to his question before she uttered a word.

Elena shook her head, lost and confused and utterly terrified to be so exposed in Damon's presence. Memories, snippets of meaningful conversation flew through her mind as she struggled to figure out what she wanted.

"_You want a love that consumes you."_

"_I want you to find everything you're looking for." _

"_You're lying to me. You're lying to Stefan, and most of all…you're lying to yourself."_

"_I can't be selfish with you."_

_"I can't lose you."_

"_If I'd chosen differently, I wouldn't have met you."_

"_I know you love Stefan. And it will always be Stefan. But I love you."_

"_When I drag my brother back from the edge and deliver him back to you, I want you to remember the things you felt when he was gone."_

"_It's right. It's just not right now."_

"What do you _want,_ Elena?" Damon demanded quietly, pulling her out of her head. Suddenly, she saw what she'd been too blind to see before. Taking a step toward him, Damon held up a hand. "If you come any closer," he warned. "I'm not going to be responsible for my actions. I might never let you go."

_God, I hope not,_ she thought, a smile curving her lips. "Good," she answered in a firm voice. Damon's eyebrows wavered and when she was close enough that they could feel each other's breath again she said, "I want a love that consumes me." Damon's eyes narrowed at the memory. "I want passion, adventure, and even a little danger," she whispered, bringing a hand to caress the side of his face. "I…I want _you_, Damon. I lo–"

Silencing her with his mouth, he backed her against the wall of the Grill. Elena gasped into his mouth. _God, what is it with him and walls?_ she wondered, as Damon's hand wound into the dark tresses of her hair. Wrapping the other around her waist, he yanked Elena closer until every inch of her body was flush against his. Panting into his mouth, she groaned at the heat and electricity arching between them. Her lips parted, allowing his tongue to enter her mouth where it danced with hers like they'd danced together just minutes before. "Elena," he breathed, trailing hot kisses down her jaw, neck and collarbone. "I –"

"I know," she panted, reveling in the passion she'd been craving all night. "God, Damon, I know."

* * *

_AN: I'm currently out of town, and I was super lucky with getting internet! This is honestly my favorite chapter yet, and I really hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have._

_Please Review! You are my muse! ~Kate_

_Follow me on Twitter for spoilers/updates: _ThisIsMyEscape_


	6. Chapter 6

_AN: Welp. First of all, I just want to thank those of you who had my sister in their thoughts. It means so much to me. She's doing much better! Second of all, I SUCK. This update took wayyyy too long but things have been chaotic at best. Anyway…thank you for those who continue to support this story be reviewing each chapter. Every chapter I write is dedicated to each and every one of you who do. I love you guys. _

_*Sidenote: Please forgive me for a special scene not being as detailed as we all want it to be. The site admins have been going crazy and deleting the stories with explicit graphics. Fine. *Huffs angrily*_

_Thanks, Mariah for being such a beautiful beta!_

* * *

_"I…I want __you__, Damon. I lo–"_

_Silencing her with his mouth, he backed her against the wall of the Grill. Elena gasped into his mouth. _God, what is it with him and walls?_ she wondered, as Damon's hand wound into the dark tresses of her hair. Wrapping the other around her waist, he yanked Elena closer until every inch of her body was flush against his. Panting into his mouth, she groaned at the heat and electricity arching between them. Her lips parted, allowing his tongue to enter her mouth where it danced with hers like they'd danced together just minutes before. "Elena," he breathed, trailing hot kisses down her jaw, neck and collarbone. "I –"_

_"I know," she panted, reveling in the passion she'd been craving all night. "God, Damon, I know."_

"_Fuck," _Damon thought as he placed kisses against her skin, his hands running over every smooth curve of her body as he tasted her from her mouth to her neck and up to her ear as he whispered. "Good. Then we can skip right to the good part." He had to remind himself that he should be gentle as he ravished her. Elena was still so close to her humanity; she was still thinking like a human. He'd waited so long for this moment that he didn't want to scare her.

Elena mewled, gripping him tighter and nipped at his lower lip. "Put away your fangs," Damon chuckled, running a hand through her hair and pulling her even closer against him. "I'm not some meal you can snack on."

The shudders that wracked Elena's small form would have done him in right then and there, had he not been so focused on her racing pulse. Her heart was thumping a mile a minute, hammering inside her chest while her dark eyes glistened with need. "We shouldn't do this here," she said, contradicting her own body language as she flipped them over so that _she_ was trapping him against the wall. "Damon…"

"Why the hell not?" he groaned, his eyes turning black with desire as he let his forehead fall against hers. Panting, he closed his eyes in irritation. _I've waited for you __for __long enough. No more._

Backing away from him reluctantly, Elena shook her head and offered him a shaky smile."Not here," she repeated, lacing her fingers with Damon's and peeling him away from the wall.

"_Why?"_ he demanded, eyes blazing as he followed after her.

Panting, she smiled. "You want it too much right now."

_No, shit!_ "Wha-You're damn right," he snapped, yanking her against him and molding his hands over the soft curve of her ass. Biting her lip to stifle a moan, Elena sucked in a surprised breath. Smirking, Damon asked. "Do you think _you _can wait until I get you home?"

"I'll…_manage_," she insisted, placing her hands against his chest, but making no move to push him away again.

"I doubt that," he replied as his grin widened at the flicker of doubt that flashed in her chocolate-brown eyes."Come on, Elena," he whispered seductively before pausing for dramatic effect. Whipping her around, he pressed her back against the rough brick wall. Dragging his hands up the sides of her body, he teased the undersides of her breasts with his thumbs as he rocked his hips against hers. "You feel like a ticking time bomb, don't you? Every emotion is heightened, every nerve ending is on _fire_, isn't it?"

Shifting his hands higher, he grazed the straining tips of her breasts, making her gasp and squirm as her body belied her words. "Oh, God…fine," Elena growled as her resolve quickly_ dissolved_. Gripping the back of his neck, she kissed him hard and fast. "You win."

"Shocker," Damon smirked, closing his mouth over hers as their lips meshed together and their bodies pressed against each other from head to toe. His hands skated down her toned stomach and one slid around her waist while the other slipped into her jeans to cup her sex. One finger swiftly entered her core and tweaked her bundle of nurves, causing her to hiss in pleasure.

In no time at all, he worked her to a fever pitch and had her climaxing as their tongues wrestled for dominance. Damon then blurred them out of the alleyway, to the boarding house and into his bedroom so fast, that Elena found her head spinning.

Like magic, Damon's sense of urgency vanished as he kicked the door shut. He wanted to relish this moment, cherish this girl like a fine wine. His hands cupped her jaw, stroking slow circles over the delicate skin with his thumbs as he guided Elena towards his bed. Willingly, she allowed him to bend her backwards over the mattress as they lost themselves in each other.

Arching against him, Elena pressed her body to his from hip to chest as the steady, rhythmic dance of their lips grew wild and eager. Panting, she pulled him closer as Damon sampled every exposed inch of skin.

"You're…overdressed," he whispered hotly against her collarbone, slipping the string of her tank top off ofher shoulder and running his tongue over her sensitive flesh. "We should change that," he said, tugging the other string down with his index finger.

Struggling to maintain the miniscule amount of composure and patience she still possessed, Elena eagerly worked at undoing the buttons of his black collared shirt. She barely restrained herself from ripping the garment off of him in her haste to feel his bare skin beneath her fingers. After Damon's reaction to her nearly ruining his jacket, she didn't want to spoil the mood by destroying his clothes.

Lifting her gaze, Elena sucked in a breath as Damon let his guard down, his smoldering blue-eyed gaze giving way to his true face – darkened eyes surrounded by the veins of hunger, lust and…something more. The man who'd done everything in his power to protect her, stood by her when she'd denied him, and loved her when she hadn't deserved his loyalty was staring at her now with desire and longing magnified times one hundred.

He _craved _her.

_Screw patience._ Damon wanted her. Now. Abandoning the slow and sensual pace he'd planned on taking, he stripped her jeans off of her legs faster than either of them could blink and caught her hands as she reached for her panties. "Don't even think about it," he grunted with a small smirk, wanting to be the one to undress her. "That's my job." He tore them away, leaving her naked from the waist down.

Elena's eyes widened at his audacity, but grinned as she made quick work of his jeans and boxers while he focused on removing her tank top. She was barely fast enough as they struggled to find middle ground between his desire to have her _now _and her own need to savor every second of discovery.

Finally rid of their clothing, their lips met again, clashing against each other with an unfettered eagerness as they fell back against the mattress. _Forget pride, _Damon thought. He'd waited for her, _pined _for her for nearly two years.

He couldn't do it anymore.

Wrenching his mouth away from hers, he planted kisses in a trail down her neck, in the valley between her breasts and down her stomach, dipping his tongue in her navel. Elena's body rolled beneath his touch, her hips bucking against his chest. He glanced up at her and looked, _really _looked at her, as his eyes softened at what was about to transpire between them.

He was finally going to claim her, to make her his in every way.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Elena panted.

Equally breathless, Damon smirked as he worked his way back up her body with his mouth. Bracing himself above her on his elbows, he raised a brow. "I'm looking at you the same way I've always looked at you," he murmured.

Elena shook her head, grinning devilishly as she touched his cheek with a sweet, almost shy tenderness that reminded him that the human girl he'd loved was still in there. Harnessing more restraint that he knew he possessed, Damon decided to give her one last chance to back out.

He held himself in check, watching her like a hawk until she writhed beneath him. "I'm right where I want to be," she promised breathlessly, lifting her head to kiss him. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Like I'm giving you a choice," he mumbled, relief coursing through him as he grazed her jawbone with his teeth. Elena parted her legs, dragging her knees up his thighs as he captured her mouth. Smoothing his hand down her quivering stomach, he dipped a finger into her warm, wet center and reveled in her moan of pleasure as he stoked her already burning desire.

Damon's arms shook with the effort of his restraint and by the time he lowered himself down and removed his finger before sinking inside of her, he was afraid the whole show would be over before the main act even began.

Moving gracefully and powerfully at first, their fluid movements soon grew frantic, their limbs becoming a blur as Elena flipped them over. Gripping her waist as she rode him hard, Damon sat up and buried his face into her neck, fighting the urge to sink his teeth into her flesh.

_One thing at a time, Salvatore._

Reclaiming control – Elena was lucky he'd let her have any – Damon rolled over, easily pinning her beneath him. Hooking an arm around her knee, he pressed her into the mattress, angling deeper as he was determined to give her every ounce of pleasure possible.

Her nails dug into his back, clawing deep welts into the skin that healed in an instant as she cried out her release. He followed soon after.

* * *

Two hours and several orgasms later, they lay together in a tangle of limbs, panting and utterly exhausted. Damon stroked Elena's hair as she snuggled into his chest and mumbled something that would have been unintelligible to a human. "Of course Bree was right," he snickered. "I'm not sure if I should be offended that you doubted me, or proud that I proved you wrong."

"Oh, I never had any doubt, Damon," Elena assured him, nuzzling her nose against his throat and inhaling his scent.

Tracing random shapes along Elena's sweat-slicked back with his fingers, he said. "Now, you know what you've been missing."

Elena then lifted her head to look at him, rolling her eyes before looking away as the thing that had been suppressed hours ago bubbled to the surface. There was still an issue that had to be taken care of, and even though it would pain her to do so because of the pain it would cause to more than just herself, it had to be done. "I'm going to have to tell Stefan."

With a reluctant nod, Damon had to agree. "You're gonna break his heart, you know."

"Someone was always going to get hurt," she said quietly. "I hurt you this year," she began but he quickly interrupted with a shake of his head.

"El –"

"No," she pleaded. "Let me say this. I hurt you, Damon, almost as badly as Stefan hurt me. I know that Klaus compelled him to flip the switch, but still…he hurt me."

Damon stared at her with an unreadable expression as she continued. "And I hurt you, just as bad…if not worse," she explained with glossy eyes and a shaky voice as she admitted. "I'm so sorry, Damon. I never wanted to hurt you."

"But you did," he told her honestly. Climbing out of bed, Damon pulled on his jeans before making his way to the closet. Elena frowned and also began dressing, as he placed something that she couldn't see in his back pocket. She pulled her top over her head, and he finally relented, walking up to Elena to wrap her in his arms.

Wiping away the tears that were falling down her cheeks in a steady stream, he smirked. "Eh. I suppose you're forgiven," he said with a wink. "Lucky for you I bounce back easily."

Elena nodded and kissed him softly on the lips and Damon's smirk widened. "Round two?"

"I think it's more like round five," she replied with a laugh as she sniffed and playfully shoved him away. "I have to get home to Jeremy."

Damon nodded, both surprised and pleased to hear that she trusted herself to stay with her brother…even though he wanted to keep her to himself.

"I know I could just…flash over there, but I'd rather walk," Elena said with a shy smile as she held out her hand to Damon in silent question.

"Fine," Damon groaned with a lazy grin as he took her hand. "I guess I could walk you home."

* * *

Walking down the dark road, Damon gave Elena's hand a gentle, but firm squeeze as a loud gunshot exploded from somewhere behind them. The two vampires looked at each other in alarm.

"What the hell was that?" he asked, his eyes growing as big as saucers as Elena's features morphed into a mask of agony. He caught her just before her knees hit the pavement, one hand wrapping around her waist, the other sliding over her back. His fingers touched something wet, making him recoil with a hiss as his skin burned like it had been dipped in acid. _Vervain. _

"Elena," he breathed, panicking as she slumped against his chest and didn't move. "Elena!"

Slipping an arm under her knees, Damon began to lift her into his arms as another gunshot rang out. A burning sensation shot through his shoulder blades, spreading to his chest as he staggered to keep his balance. _What the fuck was that? _Another explosion was heard, and something shot through his spine, causing him to collapse to the ground. Slumping over Elena's unconscious body, and with one more loud burst, Damon finally succumbed to the darkness.

* * *

_Two hours later…_

Pacing impatiently in the woods by the old Lockwood property, Caroline held her cell phone to her ear and growled. "Pick up, dammit!"

She'd originally called to see how Elena had been coping with her new feeding method, since Stefan's had so obviously failed. The last time the blonde had spoken to her best friend, it had been via a text that read:

_New Message:_

_From Elena: _**Going out with Damon. He's got something he thinks may help me…we'll see if he's right.**

_What the hell is so helpful that it takes two hours? _she wondered, biting her lip. _Sex,_ her brain instantly supplied as her eyes widened._ No. Elena wouldn't! _

_Would she?_

Shaking her head, Caroline dismissed the idea as she focused on the reason she needed to get a hold of Elena. There was a new guy in town that her mother had been iffy about. Mayor Lockwood voiced her fears and begged that she and Tyler get out of town as soon as possible, that the Council knew about the vampires in Mystic Falls.

Worried over her newly vamped friend, she redialed Elena's number. Hanging up as it went to voicemail again, she quickly punched in the keys to her brother's phone.

He answered after the first ring. _"Hey, what's up?"_

"Do you know where Elena is, Jeremy?" Caroline demanded immediately. "Elena's not picking up her phone, do you know where she is?"

"_Uh…no. No, I don't,"_ he stammered, totally lost. _"She's missing? She was just in her room."_

"When was the last time you checked on her?"

"_I don't know,"_ Jeremy replied casually. Caroline rolled her eyes, seeing his shrug of nonchalance in her mind's eye. "_Maybe an hour and a half ago? I'm not sure."_

"I got a text saying she's with Damon. Maybe she's still with him, but both of their phones are off! They both go straight to voicemail. I don't –"

"_I'll call Bonnie. See if she can do a locator spell on them or something."_

"Good idea," Caroline agreed with a quick nod of her head. "I'll be over there soon." Putting her phone into her pocket, she blurred down the stairs and over to the Gilbert home.

* * *

Elijah listened as Rebekah tearfully grabbed her belongings – clothes, accessories, and shoes – and threw them onto her bed before packing them all up into a giant suitcase. "I can't believe you're making me leave," she sniffed, coming into the living room with her nearly-full bag. "We're family and you're throwing me out on the street as if I'm some unwanted mongrel."

"This is your own fault."

Growling, the blonde decided to keep silent as her brother turned his back on her and buried his nose in the novel he'd already read over a hundred times.

"Well, are you at least coming with me?" she asked childishly, reaching for an old picture of her brothers and placing it into her luggage. The silence became too much for her to bear. "Elijah?" she pressed.

"No," Elijah replied, snapping the book shut, standing up and stepping toward her. "Mystic Falls is my home now and I have to make sure you keep your distance. Surely, you don't expect me to simply trust that you won't return, do you?"

"Clearly, it doesn't matter what_ I_ expect," Rebekah stated, quickly wiping a tear from her cheek. "Damon won't be coming after me, though, right? You told him to stay away, didn't you?"

"I did, although Damon's never been the one to listen to orders," Elijah stated, keeping his voice cool, calm, and collected. It made Rebekah's blood freeze to hear her brother speak to her with such detachment.

Damon possessed the weapon that could end her life. She was strong, and fast, but against that stake, she didn't stand a chance. He could kill her in a heartbeat if he wanted.

And Elijah didn't appear to be concerned in the least.

Kol all but skipped into the living room, oblivious to the tense conversation he was interrupting. "Hello, family," he chirped with a beaming grin.

"Why are you so chipper?" Rebekah snipped, causing Kol's grin to widen.

"Oh, I've just come to see you off, is all," he replied, his eyes glinting playfully as Elijah let out an amused chuckle. "I'd say I'm going to miss you terribly, but I'm trying to be a better person. I don't want to lie."

"I can say the same, I assure you," Rebekah retorted, snatching up her suitcase as she faced her oldest brother in a final, desperate plea. "Elijah….please don't make me leave. We have to stick together."

"If you do not, I will call Damon this instant," he vowed, the smile melting from his features so quickly, Rebekah wondered if she'd imagined it. His expression seemed as cutting and lethal as the weapon that could end his sister's life. "Don't make me call him."

Rebekah sighed sadly, knowing there'd be no arguing with him.

Tearfully, she muttered a goodbye and stepped out of her family's short-lived home. Her relationship with Elijah had been ruined, all because she'd made sure that her family survived. Killing the monster of her mother's creation had ended Elena's life as well, but Rebekah found it difficult to regret that considering the human girl had survived as well…in a way.

_And this is my thanks, _Rebekah thought, heading out into the dark night. _Exile from my family._

* * *

Returning to consciousness, Elena's eyelids fluttered open with a wince. Everything hurt, and she couldn't stand up straight because something was lodged in between her shoulder blades…something like a stake, though she couldn't be sure. Was that what that piercing pain was? Elena hadn't been staked yet, but now that she apparently had been, she knew she didn't like it.

Reaching for the weapon lodged in her back, she found that she was chained to a wall. Straining against her bonds as her exhausted muscles screamed in protest, she discovered she also wasn't strong enough to break free.

Shit.

"Finally, it wakes," a low voice echoed in the darkness, making Elena gasp as she focused in on a figure lurking in the shadows.

"Who…who are you?" she asked in a quiet, hoarse voice. "What do you want?"

"Connor Owens. I'd say it's nice to meet you, but that's not exactly true. As for what I want?" he paused, remaining hidden, although she could hear the smile in his voice. "I want to eradicate every vampire in this town, but I'll settle for the two of you tonight." Tsking, he said with mock concern. "Poor thing. You look uncomfortable."

"Just a bit," she muttered, groaning when she accidentally breathed too deeply. Though she couldn't see, or feel it with her hands when she reached for it again, _whatever_ was lodged in her back had punctured her lung, making it hard for her to breathe normally. "What did you do to me?"

"Wooden bullet," he answered easily. "Soaked it with vervain before I loaded my gun."

"Look, Connor, whoever you are," she panted with the effort it took to get out the words. "I'm not the enemy."

"You drink human blood. You are _the_ enemy." His voice came out angry, dripping with hatred as Elena tried to ignore the pain surging through her. That was why she was so weak; the vervain was draining her.

Emerging from the darkness, Elena saw her captor, dressed in a long, black coat. He was wearing black pants, and black boots. Aside from the coat, his ensemble almost reminded her of Damon.

Fuck.

"Damon," she rasped, realizing he'd been with her when she'd lost consciousness. "Where is he? What did you do to him?"

"Who?"

"The other vampire who was with me."

"Oh, the snarky one," he stated, continuing when she gave an eager nod. "He put up more of a fight than you did. He was strong…obviously older than you are. He's got a mouth on him, that's for sure. It took more of my ammo to take him out than I would have liked, but it got the job done. He's over there."

Connor pointed toward the opposite corner and Elena's heart lurched with a mixture of relief and new panic upon seeing Damon's crumpled form. "Why not just kill us and be done with it?" she demanded, the wooden bullet suddenly causing her more pain as the hopelessness of her situation washed over her. "Why…why torture us first?"

Stepping closer, he loomed over Elena, sneering at her as he reached into the folds of his coat. "Because I want to know the names of each and every vampire in this town. And if you don't tell me, I'll –"

"Go to hell!" Elena cried, hissing in agony as his arm moved with amazing speed for a human and plunged a vervaine-dipped dagger into her side.

"Want to try that again?"

"It's just Damon and I," she whispered roughly, weakening even more. How big had that bullet been, and how long had it been absorbing the poisonous herb? "There's no one else."

Connor already knew about her and Damon, but Elena was determined not to throw Caroline, Stefan, Elijah and even his siblings under the bus. Briefly, she entertained making an exception for a certain bitchy, British blonde, but decided against it. Two wrongs didn't make a right, even if it would have brought a smile to Elena's face.

"We're the only ones," she repeated.

"The Council told me otherwise, _vampire_. You're _lying!"_ Connor snapped, holding up the dagger to strike again when suddenly an angry rattle of chains and a roar of protest erupted behind him.

"NO!"

Elena sagged in relief as Connor whipped around, dropping his arm. Her eyes focused in on Damon, seeing him struggling against his chains in his effort to get to her, causing them to creak and strain, even though they held him in place.

"Damon, is it?" he sneered, seemingly unimpressed. "This your… _girlfriend_?" he asked mockingly, turning his attention back onto the brunette. "Is she the one that's going to meet her end in a matter of seconds if she doesn't tell me who else in this town drains the life out of innocent people?"

Damon grunted tugging on his restraints again. "Get away from her."

"Or what?" Connor chuckled darkly. "You can't hurt me."

"But,_ I_ can," a new voice purred. The hunter's eyes widened comically as he flung out his arm toward the source of the sound.

"You, but you – you were just," he stammered, looking back at the girl chained up and his brows dipped in confusion.

"Yes, I know," the brunette replied, smiling dangerously as she emerged from the shadows and sauntered over to him. "She looks just like me. It's all _very _confusing." With a feral snarl, the oldest vampire in the room sent Connor careening through the air with a lethal backhand. The vampire hunter smashed into the wall and fell to the ground at Damon's feet. "By the way...I'm Katherine."

"Hiya," Damon smirked at the stunned human, lunging for the attacker that had caused Elena harm. "Hurting her will be the last mistake you'll ever make," he snarled before tearing into his neck and ripping out his jugular ravenously. Connor collapsed in seconds as Damon fell to his knees. "Shit," he muttered painfully. The move had drained a lot of his energy and with the vervain bullet still lodged in his back, the fresh blood didn't do much to help him.

Katherine flashed over to Damon but he waved her off weakly with a shake of his head. "Elena first."

The brunette rolled her eyes, but did as he asked, releasing her doppelgänger from her chains. Noting the blood soaked through her shirt, Katherine dug into Elena's back, causing her to scream. "Oh, stop being such a baby." Pulling out the bullet, she grinned.

"Bitch," Elena groaned, stumbling to her feet.

"Well, aren't you a grateful little thing," Katherine scoffed, tossing the wooden bullet over her shoulder. "You're welcome."

"Yeah. Thanks." She rubbed her neck, and stretched out her shoulders. Looking at her ancient relative she asked, "How'd you know we were here? Or about Connor, for that matter?"

"Let's just say I have good ears, and friends in very high places," Katherine replied cryptically.

Hearing a hoarse cough, Elena's attention snapped to Damon's pained countenance. Instantly forgetting about her annoying doppelganger, she stumbled over to him as the vervain continued to mess with her balance.

"Damon?" she asked worriedly, taking his face in her hands. When he didn't respond, she went to break the shackles around his ankles but made no progress. She was still weak from the poison coursing through her.

"Kitty Kat," Damon uttered quietly to Katherine, fighting another wave of unconsciousness threatening to pull him under. "A little help here?" In an instant he was free, but fell to the ground like a ton of bricks.

"Damon!" Elena cried and she pulled him into her arms.

"You alright?" he murmured, forcing his eyes open.

"I will be," she nodded, running a hand through is jet-black hair. "Are you okay?"

"You need blood. We both do. Stat." He looked at Katherine again, raising a brow.

Elena spoke up before Damon could ask. "He's dead, right?" she questioned, gesturing to the man who'd put them in this situation.

"Oh, my God. Seriously? You two _know_ that no one stays alive if I want them dead." Katherine twirled a strand of hair around her finger and shrugged. "You won't be seeing those peepers open again."

"Good," Damon groaned. "Come on," he braced a hand on Elena's shoulder, struggling to stand and falling against the wall for his effort. "Shit. This is gonna take a while."

"Hold that thought," Katherine ordered, disappearing into the shadows. Creaking sounds were heard, loud footfalls clunked louder and louder and Elena realized that someone was coming down a set of stairs…

But where were they?

Reappearing a few moments later with a stumbling and obviously compelled human, Katherine promised. "Trust me, you won't want to feed on that thing." She pointed to Connor's body, wrinkling her nose in distaste. Holding her hands out as if she were revealing a prize on The Price is Right, Katherine sang with a bright smile. "This one's vervain-free. Tah-dah."

The person standing before them made Elena's eyes well with panicked tears as she shook head frantically. "No," Elena cried, gesturing wildly at a uniformed Matt. This was where they were; the basement of the Grill. "No, leave!"

Ripping the bracelet protecting him from compulsion off of his wrist, Katherine stepped in front of him and whispered. "Don't you want to help your friend?" she purred. "_Go to Elena, and offer your blood. You won't take no for an answer. You want to help her. And then you're going to help Damon." _Shaking her head, she muttered to the new vampire, "He's an idiot. I can't believe he wears vervain instead of ingesting it."

"I'll help them. I'll offer my blood," Matt stated in a robotic imitation of his low, calm voice and moved toward Elena as she cowered behind Damon. Taking deep breaths, Elena tried her best to ignore the increasing burning sensation in her throat as her hunger intensified.

"Get out of here, please!"

"I want to help," Matt said, repeating the compulsion like a drone. "Let me help."

"No!" Elena sobbed, backing away from Damon and into a corner. Dropping to her knees, she wrenched her eyes closed. _I'm strong enough….I'm strong enough,_ she chanted inwardly. _I won't go after him._

Damon snarled at Katherine. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"I'm trying to save your asses," the vampire hissed. "You should be grateful I'm even here at all."

"Yeah, well," he huffed, looking at the deceased lump on the ground. "He's dead. We're not. Mission accomplished."

"But you two are going to _feel_ like death if you don't get blood into your systems!"

Ignoring Katherine, Damon blurred in front of Elena and rested his hands on her knees. "Elena," he whispered, his voice still gruff from the effects of vervain. "Look at me."

"I can't," she whimpered, refusing to meet his eyes and straining to focus on what very little control she possessed. "I can't." Concentrating on her own breathing, her own pulse, rather than the boy who had stood by her through thick and thin over the past few years, she squeezed her eyes shut tighter. Elena feared if she opened her eyes, her resolve would crumble and Matt's heartbeat would reel her in; she wouldn't be able to resist.

"Open your eyes," Damon begged. "Please."

"No! I won't kill anyone. How can I kill –"

"I won't let you," he promised. "I'll stop you, I swear."

"You're hurt, Damon. You're not strong enough," she protested, clapping her hands over her ears to try to stifle the pounding of the human's heartbeat. It seemed to be growing louder, calling out to her, ticking like a time bomb. She found it ironic –she _felt_ like a bomb, with a lit fuse, just waiting to explode – waiting to destroy the vulnerable being less than ten feet away from her. "You won't be able to stop me, I know it."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," he snorted tiredly. Wrenching her hands away from her, he kissed her forehead. "You won't kill Matt."

"Stop it! You can't promise that!"

"Oh for God's sake," Katherine barked, fed up with the two of them. She grabbed the human as her fangs descended, puncturing the delicate skin of Matt's wrist and fully intending to _force_ Elena to feed from him if she had to. She was older, and that made her stronger. It would be the easiest thing in the world to make her drink. Shoving Damon aside and sending him staggering, Katherine knelt in front of her doppelganger.

"Elena," she sang, giving Matt a gentle push towards the baby vampire. "You know you're thirsty."

"Shut up, Katherine!" the brunette growled, keeping her eyes closed and turning away from the rich, sweet smell of her friend's blood. Elena felt a familiar heat snake around her eyes as her determination dissolved further. "Fine!" she cried, "But bring me someone else, _anyone_ else," she pleaded. "I'm not about to –"

"You will feed, now, because A – you're gonna pass out in about ten minutes and I don't have time to _find _someone else, and B…" Katherine sighed, dragging Matt and his bloody wrist closer to Elena's mouth. "Come on, aren't you tired of protecting this insignificant idiot? He's not that special, is he?"

Elena tried to fight, to push Matt away, but Katherine was stronger and Elena's hunger won out. She gave in, pulling deep and let the dark red liquid flow down her throat, instantly satisfying her thirst.

"Good girl," Katherine grinned. "About damn time."

"Kat, no!" Damon yelled, tackling the five hundred year old vampire to the floor. He ripped the wrist away from Elena's hold and tossed Matt out of her reach, using nearly the last of his strength. "Elena," he yelled, seeing her leap toward Matt. "Don't!"

Elena knelt down, reaching for the limb that'd been ripped to shreds. "I need it." Her voice cracked and tears streamed down her face as she looked up at him desperately. "I need it too much."

"No," Damon shook his head vehemently. The day he'd found out Stefan had chosen Donovan over Elena, he wouldn't have given a rat's ass as to what happened to the quarterback. But this was Matt fucking Donovan, and Elena cared about him.

She'd never forgive herself if she killed him.

"We'll find you someone else. You don't want to do this. Fight through it! Remember to breathe, Elena. Don't do this." In a desperate, last-ditch effort to stop her, Damon tore into his own wrist, offering it to Elena. "Use me. Drink from me."

"What?" Elena blanched, finding just enough strength to tear her gaze away from her intended victim to focus on Damon's frantic stare.

Damon nodded, hunched over and holding out his arm. "Do it. It'll give you enough energy to find someone who won't make you want to walk into the sun without your ring if you kill them. Drink."

"But what about you?"

"You can bring me someone, too," he winked. Swallowing, he joked, "Now drink before I change my fucking mind, will you?"

Hesitating for the briefest of moments, Elena placed her mouth on Damon's wrist, wasting no time in drinking from him. She felt her flesh begin to sew itself back together, repairing the wounds from the bullet and dagger.

Drinking deeper, the sensation of mending flesh fell away as something else replaced it – something that she hadn't felt …this _feeding_ was so different than the last two times she'd fed from a live source. Granted, Damon wasn't alive, necessarily, but his blood…his blood certainly was.

It was like nothing she'd ever experienced. It was heaven, paradise, bliss and everything in between.

His blood was so _alive_, sparking through her in an electrical storm that put the fire of their love-making to shame. It was addictive and all-consuming even as it cleared her mind and helped her think straight. The desire to drink forever, to sink into the haze of sweet, warm blood was still there, and she let herself be taken away by it.

"Elena," Katherine called, gripping her shoulder. "Alrighty. You can stop now," she pressed and tugged her in an attempt to get her off of the semi-conscious vampire. "Don't take too much."

A few moments later, when Elena felt like she'd gained enough energy to maintain her control until she found a suitable blood donor, she let Damon's wrist fall from her lips.

Shaking her head in disdain, Katherine looked down her nose at Elena as Damon slid to the ground. "You are pathetic." Looking at her doppelgänger and then to the blue-eyed vampire, she whistled. "And, _you_ look like shit."

Scoffing weakly, Damon struggled to move and waited for his wounds to slowly heal. "Shut up, Katherine."

"I'm sorry, Damon," Elena suddenly whimpered. "I'm so sorry." She cradled his head in her lap as tears slipped from her eyes.

Rolling his own, he smirked. "I know I'm delicious...but damn." His words were meant at a joke, but Elena didn't find him amusing and neither did Katherine.

"You two make me want to stake myself," she muttered, patting Elena's head as if she were a smile child as she made her way toward the stairs."I'll go get you two your meal. We don't need a newbie screwing up. Stay right here and behave."

"Katherine," Damon snarled in warning. "Nobody we know."

"Right," Elena's lookalike laughed. "Nobody we know."

* * *

_IMPORTANT AN: FIRST OF ALL TVD SEASON 4 IS GOING TO HAVE NOT 22, BUT __23__ EPISODES. LET ME DIE HAPPY. Seriously. Thrilled. Hey, did the famous love scene live up to your expectations? How about that bloodsharing scene? ;) If you've been a silent reader, please speak up. Let me know that you're not laughing at me like a hyena. Or do, as long as you let me know what's going through your head! _PleaseReview_! You are my muse! ~Kate_

_Follow me on Twitter for spoilers/updates: _ThisIsMyEscape_


	7. Chapter 7

_AN: Sorry again for the delay. I've taken a few liberties with the spoilers we've been given and…twisting them up a bit. Curious to hear what you think!_

_ALSO: I HAVE A SURPRISE FOR YOU GUYS THIS CHAPTER!  
_

_ALSO, ALSO: Thank you, Mariah for being your usual, badass beta'ing self! Love you girl, you're AWESOME.  
_

* * *

Lying on the cold ground of the Grill, Damon fought to return to consciousness. Everything inside of him ached, and the first thing his mind thought of was Elena. _Shit, Elena._ His eyes snapping open in worry, he waited for his vision to clear.

"Damon?" came the voice he'd grown addicted to and he relaxed, hearing she seemed to be fine.

When he tried to speak, he realized how bad off he truly was. "Mmm," he groaned, swallowing painfully as he moved. Lifting himself up weakly, Damon rested his weight on his elbows, catching Elena's arm as she made a move to check on Matt after seeing that apparently. "Uh-uh," he grunted roughly.

"What?" she demanded quietly, eyebrows furrowing. "He's been out for ten minutes, Damon; I just want to make sure he's okay."

"He's alive. We can hear his heart beating, ergo, he's fine," Damon coughed, swiping at his mouth with the back of his hand as his gaze landed on the lump across the room. His arm was torn to shreds; Elena had only drank on him for a few seconds, but her fangs had done a number on the flesh. He could smell the tempting aroma and Elena – with as much faith as he had in her – was too new. "Don't touch him."

"What if someone comes downstairs and finds us here?" she whispered, eyeing the cellar door as she grudgingly stayed by Damon's side. "We need to get out of here."

Struggling to his knees, Damon shook his head. "I'm sure Katherine compelled the workers to stay out of here until she comes back with dinner."

"I don't think we should take the chance," Elena admitted, biting her lip as she wrapped her arm around his waist to steady him on the cold basement floor. "You're weak Damon, you need blood now."

"Katherine will come through," he insisted, groaning as she hoisted him onto his feet.

"You trust her?" Elena frowned, eyeing him skeptically as he leaned heavily on her arm for support. "What's the big deal, we leave, we eat, we go home. We _don't_ rely on Katherine."

"She wouldn't screw us over, Elena," he said, wearily meeting her scornful, worried gaze. Forcing his lips into a semblance of a smirk, he amended. "Well, maybe I shouldn't be so quick to say that, but…"

"You think?" Elena deadpanned.

Damon's smirk became a full-on grin as he wearily squeezed her waist. "Wait a second. Are you..._jealous,_ Elena?" he teased, his blue eyes flashing as she scoffed and demanded to know why on Earth she'd be jealous of _Katherine_. "Oh, I dunno. Maybe because she's the one…" A groan of pain cut off his words as his nearly empty veins rubbed together like sandpaper. Elena had inadvertently taken more than enough blood to speed up the desiccation process. Wincing in pain, he forced himself to continue if only to ease the panic he felt building inside of Elena. "Who's gonna save me."

Elena's heart sank as she ran a hand over his sweaty forehead, pushing back his damp hair as the other gripped one of his firmly. "If you'd let me leave, _I_ could be the one to save you."

"Babe, you saved me a year ago," he confessed, doubling over in pain as his body screamed for blood. He had a change of heart as a coughing spasm brought both of them back to the floor. "On second thought, this is taking way too damn long-."

"Elena?" Matt moaned from the darkened corner, demanding both of their attention. Reaching up to touch the back of his head, he asked bewilderedly. "What the hell happened?"

"Matt!" Elena breathed in relief, disentangling herself from Damon and rushing over to him. "You're okay. How are you feeling?"

"Like someone bashed my head in," he admitted, pulling back his hand and scowling blood he found there. Eyeing Elena warily, he asked. "Did I see two of you, or was that Katherine?"

"She's ba-ack," Damon sing-songed from his slumped position, unable to see the way Elena's eyes darkened at the red liquid lingering on Matt's fingers from his wound, but not the way she swallowed thickly at the scent. Dropping the weak attempt at humor, Damon's demeanor turned serious. "Donovan, I think it'd be in your best interest to get the hell out of here."

"I'm fine, Elena," Matt quickly promised, wiping the blood away on his jeans. "It's just a little –"

"Blood," Elena choked, immediately dropping Damon's hand and disappearing up the steps of the cellar in the blink of an eye.

"Well," Damon drawled weakly. "This sucks." He gestured for the human to come closer and Matt shook his head. "I may be mummifying, but I'm not gonna kill you, believe it or not. Come here and then we're going after her."

* * *

Blurring out of the basement and through the restaurant, Elena was halfway home when an odd sensation – starting at the core of her very being and draining her of all of her energy – shot through her. Coming to an abrupt stop, she tried to draw a deep, calming breath, but instead of finding relief, her veins burned as if they'd been set on fire. _What the hell_? she wondered with building panic, pushing up her sleeve and tracing over the faint, blue lines just beneath the surface of her pale skin. The fire felt familiar…like…

_Vervain_.

Damon's blood had been laced with vervain which meant she'd ingested double the amount. The blood had healed her superficially, but the euphoria from the shared experience of feeding from him was fading fast. The physical exertion of running away from Matt had pumped the tainted blood through her veins faster, allowing the poison to do its work.

_I have two choices, _she thought – go home and drink from one of the blood bags in her fridge or turn around and return to Matt and Damon and run the risk of draining her former boyfriend dry.

Though it pained her to stay away from the weakened vampire, Elena shook her head to clear it and stubbornly kept moving. Damon might have been willing to trust Katherine, but Elena refused to put her faith in her doppelganger. She was determined to find a food source before the desiccation process worsened – for either of them.

Stumbling up the front steps of her home, Elena barely had enough energy to lift her arm and knock on the door. "Jer...Jeremy," she groaned, struggling to get the words out as she coughed, resting her forehead against the solid wood surface. Fumbling for the door knob, she twisted it, falling into the house and crashing to the floor.

"Elena?" her brother called from the floor above, looking over the side and gripping the wooden railing. His eyes widened in fear upon finding her in a heap. Hurrying to her side, he kneeled next to her and stroked her hair. "Elena! Who did this to you?"

"Blood," she managed to utter. "Need…blood."

"Right, of course," he nodded, leaping to his feet and rushing into the kitchen. Throwing open the refrigerator door, Jeremy grabbed whatever he could find, piling copious amounts of blood bags into his arms. Returning to the foyer, he was confused to find her no longer there. "Elena?" he called, peering into the family room.

"_Jeremy!"_ a panicked voice screamed from somewhere on the second floor. _"Help!"_

Losing his grip on all but one bag, Jeremy flew up the stairs. "Elena, no!" he yelled in horror at the sight of his sister – hissing and in full vamp face – as she held a girl, with two bloodied bite marks on her neck, up against the wall with one hand.

"I'm so hungry, Jeremy," she murmured, licking the thick, dark liquid off of her lips as veins swirled around her eyes. Elena's head tilted to the side as she absorbed the fear spilling from her victim. It caused a small grin to appear on Elena's lips as she lifted her free hand to pat the girl's cheek. Looking at her brother out of the corner of her eye, she said. "I need the blood. You won't miss her, will you?"

"Elena, it's April!" he cried, daring to lay a hand on his sister as the deadly expression on her face faltered.

"April?" she murmured, confusion lacing her tone as her gaze jumped between the two humans.

"April Young," the girl croaked as tears spilled down her cheeks, clutching at vampire's hand around her neck with weak fingers. "Elena, it's me! Don't you remember me?"

* * *

Deciding that she had spent enough time away from Mystic Falls and away from her favorite pair of brothers – one admittedly more than the other – Katherine approached the Salvatore boarding house. Throwing open the front door of the boarding house, Katherine walked right inside without waiting for an invitation. "Stefan," she beckoned, her tone low and sultry. "Come out, come out, wherever you are."

Almost instantly, Stefan appeared in front of her, in the middle of the foyer. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"Oh, come now. That's not very nice," Katherine tsked, pouting playfully. "I'm here to inform you that your girlfriend and brother are trapped at the Grill."

"They're _what_?" he asked, preparing to blur through the front door until the brunette grabbed his arm.

"Relax, their captor's dead. I took care of it, but Stefan…I think you should know something," Katherine revealed, her lips twitching with uncertainty as she scrutinized his face for whatever expression would surface with her next words. Slowly, she told him. "Elena and Damon looked very…_touchy feely_."

"Yeah, and? He means something to her. I'm not an idiot," Stefan snapped impatiently, catching the brunette off guard. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go help them."

Furrowing her brows in confusion, Katherine blinked. "Help them?" Shifting her weight and placing a hand on her hip, Katherine laughed humorlessly. "Elena cheated on you with your brother, and you're telling me that you're still going to help her?" _Am I missing something?_ she wondered.

Straightening, and nodding as if in defeat, Stefan shrugged before sighing. His eyebrows jumped and with a smirking caustically, Stefan told her. "You cheated on me with my brother in 1864 and I still tried to help you."

Pretending to be wounded, Katherine flinched, clutching at her heart. "Oh, good one. Touché, Stefan." Trailing her fingertips down his arm, she took his hand and bit her lip coyly. "I can show you where in the Grill they are…if you'd like."

"I'd rather you not," Stefan retorted with a biting smile, yanking out her grasp out. "I can find them on my own."

"Very well," she sighed melodramatically, walking down the short steps to the parlor and sitting on the couch. Spreading her arms and resting them on the back, she crossed her legs and beamed up at him. "I'll just make myself comfortable then."

"You're staying?" he asked, raising one brow incredulously. "Katherine, no. Get out."

Never letting her gin falter, Katherine shook her head fiercely. "As Damon said, there are six other bedrooms in this house besides his; well, five – not including yours," she pointed out, her eyes darkening as she playfully licked her lips. "There's plenty of room for little ol' me. We could have so much fun."

"No," Stefan retorted. "Leave."

"Oh, come on," Katherine pouted, sitting up pouting indignantly. "Elena's two-timing you, Stefan. Why should she have all of the fun?"

"Shut up, Katherine," Stefan sighed, rolling his eyes as he turned to leave. "You know nothing."

"I know a lot of things, like the fact that your girlfriend is fucking your –"

Grabbing her by the throat, Stefan had her pinned to the floor before she could get out another word. Hovering over her, he bent his head down and snarled, "I know what you're doing and it's not going to work. You are not Elena, and will _never_ have my heart. You had it once, you lied to me, compelled me, and it's over and done with." Lifting her head and slamming it into the floor, he hissed in a dangerously low whisper. "You're pathetic, Katherine and you're not wanted here. Get._ Out_."

With a sigh of disgust, Katherine rolled her eyes and kicked Stefan off of her, sending him crashing into an armchair a few yards away. On her feet in less than a second, the brunette flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Such hurtful words, Stefan," she pouted before breaking into a smile and a flirtatious giggle. "Fortunately for me, I know you don't mean them."

"I told you I hated you, and I meant it."

Schooling her features to mask the hurt that his words truly caused, Katherine shrugged. "And I told _you,_ it made for the beginning of a love story – not the end of one." Blurring in front of him, Katherine gazed into his eyes. "Are you forgetting everything we went through in Chicago, I saved your life…you saved mine…" she smirked, trailing her forefinger down his chest.

"I wasn't myself," he retorted, narrowing his eyes as he roughly smacked her hand away.

"Oh, yes," she insisted, her smirk widening at the reaction. "Yes, you were." Backing away from him, Katherine eyed him up and down. "That was the most _you_ I've seen you in decades; the closest I've seen you to the vampire I saw in the roaring twenties, sexy."

"That was a monster."

"That was a _vampire,_" she corrected with bright eyes. "We stalk, hunt, and kill, Stefan and I've never understood why you hate yourself so much for being what you are. You embraced it back then, so what the hell happened?"

"I don't have time for this," he snapped. Dropping his gaze to the floor, Stefan swallowed, muttering. "I have to get to Elena."

"She's fine," Kat grumbled. "At least, she should be since I left sapphire eyes with her."

"You left her alone with _Matt_?" Stefan gawked.

"Funny you knew I wasn't talking about Damon," Katherine observed wryly. "But yes, Elena needs to realize she can't protect everyone."

"What the hell were you thinking?" Stefan exclaimed, vanishing from the house in an instant. Katherine watched him leave and scoffed, shaking her head in exasperation. She was extremely frustrated that he kept insisted on trying to be the epitome of a vegan vampire – a 'good' vampire. She laughed at the irony of _that. _No vampire was 'good.' Not even the little brunette look-a-like that the man she loved was running off to save.

* * *

"April?" Elena breathed shakily, staring at the girl with wide eyes as she abruptly released her and threw herself across the room. Keeping her back pressed against the opposite wall, she realized she was in her brother's bedroom. Locking eyes with Jeremy, she beseeched him. "I didn't mean to," she promised. "I swear I didn't. April, are you okay?" she asked, worriedly eyeing her old friend from childhood.

With a small nod, April winced, gingerly pressing her fingers against the bite marks on her neck. "You didn't take a lot."

"Enough to hurt you," Jeremy said, making his way to her side and pushing the hair off of her neck to examine the injury. "Let's get you cleaned up, huh?" he asked, smiling as April blushed.

"I could give you my blood," Elena suggested weakly.

April paled at the idea. "No," she said, shaking her head emphatically. "I just need to clean this out." She then slipped into the bathroom and shut the door. Elena didn't miss the quick flipping of the lock.

_As if that would keep me out_, Elena thought drolly.

"Yeah, you've done enough," Jeremy snapped, softening immediately as Elena started as if she'd been slapped, tears gathering in her eyes. "Elena, I'm sorry. I just –"

"No, no. You're right," Elena murmured, biting her lip. "I shouldn't be here anyway. I need to bring those blood bags to Damon. I'll get out of your hair."

"Elena, wait!" Jeremy called, but his sister was already gone. "Dammit," he swore, as the bathroom door creaked open. April exited with a cold rag on her neck and he sighed. "You couldn't have come at a worst time," he told her, deadly serious despite the rueful smile on his lips. "What are you even doing back in Mystic Falls?"

"My dad felt like we were needed here," she whispered, stepping closer to him. "So, I really didn't have much of a choice. That, and…I missed you."

* * *

"Damon!" Elena exclaimed, thundering down the basement steps at the Grill and searching for him. Failing to immediately find either him or Matt, her anxiety became outright panic as she realized Connor's body was missing as well.

"Matt? Damon, where are you?" she called, stopping abruptly when she kicked something across the floor. Crouching down, she found her and Damon's cell phones and picked them up in confusion. "What the hell?"

Stepping further into the basement, something long and small in the shadows caught her eye. _What is that?_ Bending down and picking it up, her heart stopped, instantly recognizing it for what it was. A stake – and not just any stake – _the _stake. The one that had been used to kill Klaus.

_Was that what Damon had put in his pocket earlier tonight? _she wondered, clutching the weapon as she ran out of the Grill, intent on searching for both Damon and one of her closest friends.

* * *

Visibly surprised at the unexpected admission – and it was exactly that, given the look in her eyes and the tone in her voice – Jeremy dropped April's hand and backed away, rubbing his neck. It had been forever since he'd seen her, let alone thought about his feelings for her. She was as beautiful as she'd been the day she left, but holy shit was he not prepared for this. "April…that was _years_ ago."

"So?" she shrugged. "You're telling me you don't feel the same?" Smiling, she continued. "I saw the look in your eyes when you answered that door, Jeremy. It wasn't just a one-sided, school-girl crush."

Wallowing in unbearable tension and awkwardness, Jeremy stammered. "I-I think…you should leave. It's been a _long_ couple of days and I really just want to rest." He hoped his words wouldn't hurt her feelings, but he couldn't deal with this right now; this girl who was literally a blast from his past, expecting to take things from where they'd left off when she moved away when he had everything that was going on keeping his mind a jumbled mess...he just couldn't let another thing confuse him.

"My dad is going to start at the Church this weekend with sermons," April said. "We could talk after the service?"

Jeremy's eyes widened. This girl didn't give up, did she? _Shit_. "I…Sure. Yeah, we can talk then." Seemingly satisfied, April nodded as she left him in the bedroom. Hearing the front door shut, Jeremy sagged against the wall. "You have _got _to be kidding me," he groaned, scrubbing his hands over his face and nearly jumping out of his skin when he opened his eyes and found Alaric lounging against the dresser. "What the hell, man!"

Smirking at him, the hunter shrugged. "I told you I'd be hanging around."

Relaxing and taking a step forward, Jeremy smiled. "It's good to see you, Ric," he said sincerely, now that he was over his initial shock. "What are you doing here?"

"Did you not hear what I just said?" the ghost laughed and Jeremy shook his head.

"I did…I just…I guess I didn't think you'd be coming back. Everyone else I see from the Other Side kind of just…stays gone after a while."

"I'm not everyone else," Alaric promised, his previous expression still firmly in place before softening. "Jeremy, how's Elena? How is she coping with everything?"

"It's hard for her," Jeremy explained with a frown, taking advantage of the opening to vent his frustrations to an adult. Even though Alaric was dead and couldn't do a damn thing to help him, it still felt good to let it all out to someone that Jeremy could at least pretend was in charge. "She never wanted this. She's trying her best, and we're all trying to be there for her, but…"

"It's hard," the ghost said, repeating the boy's words.

"Elena's always been strong, and she's trying to figure out how to live as a…nonliving living person."

"Damon say that?" Alaric asked, chuckling when Jeremy nodded. "How are they? Damon and Stefan?"

"Stefan's kept his distance for the most part. Damon let him have it for choosing to save Matt's life over Elena's, but I think we're all in the same boat. No one wants this for my sister." His throat tightened, trying to fight back his emotions but they were too overwhelming. He blinked back tears.

"I guess that answers my next question," the ghost said carefully. "I'm sorry, Jer." The younger man nodded as Alaric sighed heavily. "I'd hug ya if I could."

"Yeah," Jeremy laughed, wiping his eyes. "How manly of us."

"Real men cry," Alaric shrugged. "I did when I died."

"You were _dying_," Jeremy snapped, suddenly angry at the memory of the recent event. "And you shouldn't have died. That witch killed you."

"Yeah well, Esther's miserable," the ghost revealed, glancing away briefly. "The Bennett witches from the Other Side have punished her."

"Good," Jeremy replied, crossing his arms petulantly, grateful for the cold comfort of knowing that Esther was suffering for the loss of his pseudo-parent.

Nodding, Alaric swallowed. "Jeremy."

"Yeah?"

"I didn't see your parents," he admitted.

"What?" the boy gasped. "You didn't? Well, that's a good thing, isn't it? I mean, it means –"

"It means they're not on the Other Side," Alaric nodded. "It means they've already found peace."

"Why can't you find your peace?" Jeremy asked, his voice small as if he feared the answer.

Alaric ran a hand through his hair before admitting nervously. "I saw Jenna."

Jeremy's heart soared.

* * *

Clawing his way back to the land of the conscious, Damon groaned. Summoning what little remained of his strength, he opened his eyes to narrow slits but the world around him spun, prompting him to close them immediately as he swallowed. For the short time his vision had been stable, he'd only taken in the dark, small space of what looked to be some sort of mausoleum. "Donovan," he croaked, clearing his throat before trying again. "Matt."

"Matt Donovan isn't here, vampire."

Prying his eyes open and fighting the nausea caused by his disorientation, Damon looked for the owner of the voice. "Where is he?" he asked angrily.

"He got away. He's not here."

_Are you shitting me? Again? _"Then who_ is_ here?" he demanded hoarsely, gradually becoming more and more aware of a throbbing in each wrist, as if he'd been impaled. "Who are you and what the fuck do you want?"

"I'm Pastor Young," the man said, finally coming into view as he knelt before the blue-eyed vampire.

Looking blearily around, Damon noticed that his assumptions had been correct – his captor, the supposed church-goer, had crucified him to the wall with wooden stakes. The surface he was forced against was hard, rough…like stone. "Pastor?" he repeated skeptically. "Taking this Christianity motif a little seriously, aren't we?"

"I wouldn't try moving too much. Those stakes have been drenched with vervain."

"Now there's a shock," Damon replied, trying to hold back a groan of agony when he tested the man on his statement. Sighing in exasperation, he said. "I've been…a relatively good vampire this year. Let me go."

"I don't think so, Damon Salvatore," Young said, earning the vampire's undivided attention by revealing that he knew his name. "Oh, yes. I know all about you…and your brother. My great-grandfather was friends with your father."

Damon's attempt at laughter turned into a dry racking cough. "Your great-grandfather had a poor taste in friends."

* * *

Alaric watched the young man carefully as he stumbled backwards. Flopping down on the edge of his bed when his knees gave out, Jeremy swallowed thickly. "You saw Jenna?" Jeremy demanded with a wide grin. "How is she? Where is she? Is she okay?"

"Easy," Alaric chuckled against the onslaught of questions. "She's…she's Jenna; annoyed about my being caught in limbo-hell, frustrated she can't be there for you and Elena, even though she sees you every day, and devastated she isn't here to hold Elena's hand." Turning serious, he asked. "How do you think she's doing?"

"She has you, though…"

"Yes," he nodded. "She helped me through the first few days of…astral…life."

"Why haven't I ever seen her?" Jeremy asked, pressing for more details about his aunt. She'd been watching them? Him? And she hadn't even…"Why hasn't she tried to contact me? Didn't you tell her I that could –"

"She doesn't care," the ghost admitted, quickly continuing when he saw the look of devastation cross over Jeremy's face. "That's not what I mean, not like you're thinking, Jer. She's…well, she's embarrassed."

"Why?" he gasped and Alaric gave him a pained smile.

"Because Jenna thinks she failed you and Elena."

"So she's ignoring me?" the human boy scoffed. "That's bullshit."

"She can't face you, Jeremy. She hasn't gotten over it."

"Maybe that's why she can't truly move on," Jeremy replied dryly. "She can't let go."

"Probably," Alaric agreed. "I'd also tell you that the reasonneither one of us can move on is because we both want to look after you."

"Yeah, well…you're dead."

"We're dead, but we're here," Alaric corrected with a small grin. "We may have failed you in our human lives, and I may have wanted to rip your head off when I was an all-powerful evil vampire, but I'm back to norm…well, I'm back to being _me_, and Jenna and I want to stick around."

"You say 'Jenna and I' but _someone_ refuses to see their nephew." Jeremy frowned and added. "I don't want her to be embarrassed. I want to see her," he sighed, falling back and letting his head hit the pillows while Ric leaned against the dresser, watching the boy whine, "Dammit, Jenna! I want to see you!"

Suddenly he felt another familiar presence. Sitting up almost reluctantly, Jeremy's eyes stung with tears as he saw his aunt standing at the foot of his bed, gazing down at him while Alaric moved to her side. His bottom lip trembled as he whispered. "Jenna?"

Giving a small, sad smile, she bit her lip, and waved awkwardly. "Hi, Jeremy."

* * *

Exiting the doors to the restaurant at an alarming speed, she ran smack into a brick wall. Peeling herself away from it and as her eyes focused in, widening when she realized it wasn't a wall, but a Stefan."Elena?" he asked worriedly, pulling her into his arms. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," she nodded against his chest, but quickly maneuvered out of his grasp and cried, "Damon and Matt are gone!"

Looking around to see if they were being watched, Stefan grabbed Elena's arm and blurred them somewhere more private, somewhere they couldn't be heard while Elena told him everything that had taken place.

Ten minutes later, they began searching. Ignoring the awkwardness of what was lingering unspoken between them, Elena and Stefan blurred through the town, looking for any sign of Damon and Matt.

"Where the hell could they be?" Elena asked, her voice hitching as she began to fear of the worst. Though she tried to shake off the feeling of dread, she knew that something bad was about to happen. "There are only so many places to hide in this God-forsaken town!"

"We just have to stay calm," Stefan advised, narrowing her eyes and focusing in on the sounds of the night. Amongst the drunken laughter, crickets, rustling leaves and a soft howling of the wind, he heard a prominent, albeit extremely quiet voice.

"_Caroline…"_ a familiar, male voice weakly called.

"This way." Grabbing Elena's arm, Stefan took off toward the hushed sound. "I found one of them."

"What? Who?" Elena asked, stumbling after the sandy-blonde as she tried to focus her heightened senses and hear what he had heard.

Reaching the body, Stefan kneeled beside him. "Matt," the vampire said, roughly shaking the prone man's shoulder in an effort to wake him up.

"Matt?" Elena whimpered, falling to her knees as well when he didn't respond. "Wake up." Searching for and failing to detect a pulse, she panicked. "Oh, God, Stefan, he's not breathing!" Tears streamed down her cheeks as she looked to Stefan. "Help him!"

Spurred into action, Stefan bit into his wrist and pressed it to the human's lips. "Matt," he ordered, when the blood failed to enter his mouth and began flow down his chin. "Drink." Biting into his quickly healed wrist, Stefan tried again.

And failed.

Again.

Looking at Elena's crestfallen face, he murmured. "I'm sorry."

Elena shook her head in horror. "No," she murmured, shoving Stefan out of the way so that she could lean over her friend's body. "No, Matt." Her voice broke on a tortured sob as she shook his shoulder and begged. "Wake up, Matt. Please wake up."

"Elena…"

"No!" she hissed, smacking his hand off of her shoulder. "Matt wouldn't do this to me. He wouldn't _leave_ me." Caressing his face, she cried. "Please, Matt. Come on, you can't leave me." Elena's heart was breaking as she realized she was losing yet another friend – another person she cared for. _Am I cursed? Am I not allowed to have a family? Friends?_

Stefan murmured his apologies and pressed, "We have to keep moving, Elena. We have to find Damon."

"No." Shaking her head sadly, refusing to believe he was gone. "No," she whimpered, clinging to Matt even as the thought of Damon and the danger he was in tugged painfully at her heart. "We can't leave him here."

"Dammit, Elena. We have to find my brother! It's not like Matt's going anywhere."

Horrified, she stared at Stefan. "What is _wrong_ with you?" she growled, wishing that looks could kill – or, at the very least, inflict pain. "A friend of mine just…and you want me to just forget about it?"

"That's not what I meant," Stefan sighed. "Damon's in trouble, Elena. I'm surprised you're not rushing off to him." His judgmental tone of voice caught Elena's attention.

His judgmental tone stung. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" The sandy-blonde shrugged, refusing to answer, but Elena understood his unspoken accusation. "You know," she murmured with a sinking heart.

Leveling her with a cold, disdainful look, Stefan opened his mouth to speak just as Matt surged upward, heaving and gasping for air.

* * *

**SUPER CRAZY LONG AN ABOUT THE FINALITY OF THIS STORY:** _Dun, dun, dun! So much happened, huh? April and Pastor Young (who kidnapped Damon) are here, Matt woke up…in transition? Katherine pointed out an ugly truth that Stefan's always hated facing, and most importantly JENNA AND RIC ARE HERE! Okay, so now to the part some of you may not like…just so you know: I'm finding this story is getting harder and harder to find inspiration for. After seeing the promo (which left me unsure of what to think about the premiere-all the cheeSE), all inspiration vanished. I literally fought for each word you've read, and I hope it didn't disappoint. Thank you for the kind words. Please, keep them coming! There's less than a month before TVD returns, which means this story will be wrapping up _very_ soon (like, either next chapter or the one after that). I guess it's a good thing, since I'm also sensing a general waning of interest. Pretty please, with Damon on top, review? I swear, we're almost done!_

_Random, but: what's the greatest line by Damon you've ever heard? My favorite is way back in season 1: "That's for me to know, and you to dot, dot, dot…" ;) _

_See you next chapter! :D _


	8. Chapter 8

_IMPORTANT AN: Last chapter, guys. Thank you to everyone who's alerted, added this to their favorites, and ESPECIALLY to those who've taken the time to leave their thoughts in a review. A lot gets covered, so seriously, y'all might wanna grab a drink, some snacks, and get comfortable. With as much that gets covered, I've left a few questions (like April and Jalaric) open-ended for the sole reason that TVD will most likely answer them (maybe not Jenna *pouts* but Ric for sure will!) and, I actually like stories that leave questions unanswered. _

_Now, without further ado, A Love That Consumes You's final chapter! Xoxo, Kate_

_Oh, and please don't kill me for what you're about to read._

_Oh, oh! And Thank you, Mariah, for being your usual KICK ASS AMAZING SELF. :D  
_

_**Updated note 10/12/12: After the premiere, I was stunned by how dead on Klaus's words to Caroline were when he called her love while in Tyler's body and Caroline asked, "Did you just call me 'love?'" I wanted to point out that this chapter was written and posted before the premiere aired, and I'm apparently psychic. LOL. That being said, enjoy the chapter.**  
_

* * *

"Okay, Matt, you have to tell us what happened_,"_ Stefan ordered when the resurrected boy finally relaxed long enough to pay attention.

Matt inhaled, wincing at the burning sensation in his throat. He shook his head and gruffly answered. "I don't fucking know. One minute Damon's giving me a little blood, said it would be convenient to not have to worry about me while we searched for Elena…and in the next minute, someone's coming down stairs with a black robe and a white collar, knocking out Damon and then," he paused with widening eyes, his hands flying to his stomach. He gripped at his bloody, torn shirt and looked down at it. "And then the man…he…he stabbed me? With some sort of antique knife or something and said that I needed to die like the rest of them…"

He glanced at Elena who continued to hold Matt in her arms, though he was in a seated position now and seemed to be doing better, she couldn't let go of him. Stefan saw by the small vibrations of Elena's hands that Matt was trembling. "Pastor Young," she whispered, earning confused expressions from both Stefan and Matt. Speaking to her friend she asked. "You said he was in a black robe and wearing a white collar…well, April Young is back in town and her dad was the church's old pastor. It was probably him." Gritting her teeth, she bit out. "I can't believe he just killed you!"

"I don't think he knew I was a human," he said, clearing his voice. "I think he assumed because I was in the basement with a vampire." Matt scoffed. "So I guess for that reason alone I should be thanking Damon? I don't know."

"Thanking him?" Stefan questioned. "He turned you."

"But I'm not dead…I could be dead."

"So you're going to transition?" The men watched Elena breathe a heavy sigh of relief. "Good."

"No…I didn't say that. I just…I need to think."

* * *

"Are you sure we should be leaving Matt with Bonnie?" Stefan asked jogging down the front walk toward his car as Elena shut the door to Bonnie's house. Katherine's words wouldn't leave his head, circulating in a continuous loop that made it difficult for him to even look at Elena.

"_Elena and Damon were very… touchy-feely."_

Had he been blind?

Stefan knew that Damon meant something to Elena, but no matter what had happened with Katherine, he'd never entertained the notion that she'd cheat on him with his own brother. Not after she'd made her choice. Struggling to keep his emotions in check and stay focused on the task at hand, he continued, "I know he hasn't completed the transition, but –."

"Matt won't hurt Bonnie, Stefan," Elena snapped, glaring at him as she stalked past him on the way to the car. "He doesn't even know if he's going to go through with it, yet." They didn't have time for this. Pastor Young had _killed_ one of her best friends and taken Damon. As much as she wanted to be there for Matt, getting the vampire back came first.

Spurred by a sudden burst of panic, she raced toward his vehicle. "Would you hurry up?" she cried, waiting impatiently for him to catch up. It took all of her restraint not to just rip the door open herself. "We have to find him, Stefan. We have to find Damon!"

"We don't even know where to look," he argued, walking swiftly towards his cherry red, 1963 Coupe. Key in hand, he met Elena's gaze. "Where would this Pastor Young take Damon?"

"I don't..." she trailed off, closing her eyes as she shifted through memories of her life before her parents' death. The Gilberts hadn't attended church services regularly, but had been friendly with Pastor Young because of April. He'd been a fire and brimstone preacher – his explicitly vivid sermons being a major reason her parents had only attended church often enough to stay on good terms with the man – and had conducted the entire hour-long service with an air of old world reverence and ritual. Vaguely, Elena recalled sitting on a hard wooden pew next to her mother while the pastor had delivered a sermon at the front of the old church next to the cemetery.

The church…

"Holy shit," she murmured softly, her eyes going wide as she wrenched the car door open. "I think I know where Damon is."

"Well?" Stefan barked, blurring around to the driver's side. "Where is he, Elena?"

"The church," she explained, feeling the weight of each second as Stefan climbed into the car. "The church he used to preach at on the edge of town by the cemetery."

"Damon's at a _church_?" Stefan shook his head in disbelief as he shut the door and turned the key in the ignition.

"Not of his own free will," Elena said, even more anxious to get going now that they had a place to start looking for the vampire. "We can talk about how ironic and hilarious it is, later, Stefan. Let's go!"

"Right," he nodded and began backing down the driveway. "And on the way, you and I are going to talk."

"About what?" Elena demanded.

"Us."

"You want to talk about us…_now?"_ she cried, staring at him incredulously. "Are you insane? Damon's been kidnapped and you want to have a heart-to-heart about our relationship?"

"Yes," Stefan replied with steely calm that left no room for argument. "We have to talk about this now, because honestly, if we don't…I'm not sure what I'm going to do when I see Damon."

"I can't believe this," Elena muttered, crossing her arms indignantly. "Fine," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she jerked her head to face him. "Where would you like to start?"

Stefan swallowed, clenching his jaw as he drove in silence, adjusting the wheel as necessary and flipping the turn signal whenever needed. Just as Elena began to wonder if he was ever going to answer her, he shrugged. "Why don't we skip to the good part and you tell me if you and Damon started fucking before or after you turned."

* * *

Tyler and Caroline were upstairs, in her room playing. He was being very sweet with her, but the bubbly blonde couldn't help but feel something wasn't quite right about Tyler ever since Klaus's death. Of course she was grateful that her boyfriend hadn't died along with him, but… maybe whatever miracle that saved Tyler somehow affected him in the process.

He cupped her face before gently pressing his lips against hers and he murmured. "I don't think I'll ever tire of kissing you."

Giggling as her cell phone buzzed along her dresser, she replied. "Good. Because you're stuck with me forever," she winked, hopping off her bed and moving to retrieve the hand-held. Picking up before it went to voicemail and seeing it was Bonnie she was eager to answer. "Hi, Bon."

"_Caroline,"_ her choked voice came through the line. "We have…we have a problem. It's Matt…he's –"

"Bonnie? Where are you, what happened to Matt?"

"_Damon fed him his blood…and long story short Matt may not transition."_

"What do you mean he may not transition? He has to, Bonnie!"

Tyler was beside her in an instant. Gently tapping her elbow he quietly questioned. "What is it?" Caroline didn't answer verbally, responding with a hand up to quiet him down. "What's happened?" Tyler asked worriedly, eyebrows dipped with concern as he gently wiped away the tears from her cheeks as she hung up her phone. "Caroline, talk to me."

"That was Bonnie," she whimpered, biting her lip to hold back her sobs. Tyler nodded eagerly, wanting her to continue and so she did. "Something happened to Matt. Someone…someone ki-," she choked on the word, curling her fingers into fists. "He's in transition."

"What?" he gasped. "You're joking."

"No!" she cried, blinded by the tears streaming full force down her cheeks. Angrily, she rushed out of her room and down the stairs with Tyler quick on her heels. "Someone killed him, Tyler. We have to go. We have to go to him!"

Using his enhanced speed, the werewolf beat her to the door and slammed his hand down on the surface, preventing her from opening it. "No, we don't."

"What do you mean 'no, we don't?'" she demanded, staring at her boyfriend incredulously. "Yes, we do! Matt doesn't know if he's going to complete the transition, Tyler. We have to convince him to turn!"

Caroline had already lost her father, had almost lost Tyler. She refused to lose Matt as well.

* * *

"_Why don't we skip to the good part and you tell me if you and Damon started fucking before or after you turned."_

"Are you kidding me?" Elena demanded, her voice rising an octave as she stared at him. "Who told you Damon and I were…"

"Katherine."

"Katherine," she repeated incredulously, hiding her mortification and overwhelming guilt with rage. She decided to focus on that, until it actually became…real. She had plenty of reasons to be plenty pissed off.

_Of fucking course._ Elena should have known Katherine would've been paying attention to her and Damon's interaction and ran to Stefan with her observations the first chance she got. Even before the vampire had caught Elena and Damon in a compromising position the night he'd nearly died from the werewolf bite, Katherine had taken every opportunity to use Elena's relationship with the elder Salvatore to drive a wedge between her and Stefan; probably for her own gain since she was still fawning for him after all those decades.

Elena laughed bitterly, fighting back tears in her eyes. "And you're going to take her word for it? Tell me, oh wise one, how the hell would Katherine know what Damon and I have been doing?" _And are you still going to help me save Damon if I confirm what you already know?_

"Katherine wouldn't know. She told me she helped you guys out when you two had been snatched by that vampire hunter and said you two looked a bit close for comfort," Stefan replied, his immediate defense of the older vampire grating harshly on Elena's frayed nerves. She felt the weight of his gaze as he glanced at her. "And I don't hear you denying it."

Turning to stare out the window at the night, Elena was saved from coming up with a response by the imposing outline of the church at the end of the road. Surrounded by old willow trees and barricaded with an oddly placed iron gate, Elena shivered. She'd always hated that church; though the people were kind, the building itself had always been creepy as hell. Two years later and it still gave her goosebumps.

Reaching for the door handle before Stefan brought the Coupe to a complete stop, Elena was halfway out of the car when a strong hand latched around her wrist. Glancing frantically over her shoulder, she met Stefan's hard, green-eyed gaze. "This conversation isn't over," he said, leaving no room for argument in his tone.

"Fine," Elena hissed, hardly recognizing the boy she'd fallen in love with in the man who sat before her. "You help me save _your brother_ and I'll admit to whatever the fuck you want."

* * *

Racing up the front steps of Bonnie's home, Caroline threw open the door and entered without knocking. Trapped in Tyler's body – and none too eager to leave – Klaus followed at a more sedate pace. The instant he crossed the threshold, his enhanced hearing picked up on two human heartbeats, though one – presumably Donovan's – was much faster than the other's. Making his way into the kitchen, he found Caroline kneeling at the quarterback's feet as he sat doubled over in the chair.

Transition could be a bitch.

"Matt!" she exclaimed, taking in his pale complexion and unfocused gaze. "Oh God." She frowned at the feel of his cold cheek. "Here, we need to give you blood, okay? I've got it in my purse… Tyler?" she asked, glancing toward the over-sized handbag she must have dropped by the doorway into the kitchen. "Can you hand me a blood bag out of my purse?"

Nodding mutely, keenly aware that the boy might very well realize that his friend's body didn't contain its rightful soul when he spoke, Klaus retrieved the bag of blood, handing over the sustenance that he knew the human's body was craving in silence.

"I can't," Matt uttered hoarsely, shaking his head. "I can't do it."

"Yes, you can," Caroline smiled encouragingly, her eyes shining with tears. "You can do this. We're all here for you." She gestured widely, including Bonnie and Klaus in her circle of support. The Original hazarded a glance toward the witch and gave her a miniscule nod of acknowledgement as Caroline continued to cajole her friend. "You can handle this. You can handle being a vampire. You're prepared."

"Tyler," the quarterback asked, catching Klaus by surprise as he stared at him inquisitively. "Is it as bad as everyone says it is? Caroline's gonna lie and say it's manageable to keep optimistic for me, but you're my best friend. I know you'll be straight with me."

Unable to avoid the direct question, Klaus attempted a casual shrug and smirked. "It's not so bad, mate…_Matt,_" he corrected quickly, praying that nobody had caught onto his blunder until he glanced back at Bonnie and noticed her admonishing look. "You can learn to control it."

"I hate this!" Matt shouted suddenly, slamming his fists on the table. "Sorry, Caroline but I don't want to be a monster and that's what vampires are, the thirst for blood never goes away and –"

"I know," the blonde whispered, nodding a watery smile in his direction. "I get it, Matt, I do. This isn't the life I wanted for myself either. If Elena's dopple-bitch hadn't decided to use me as a pawn in her stupid games I'd…I'd probably still be human. Or I'd be dead." She laughed weakly before turning serious gain. "But you can't leave us, Matt. You can't."

"Caroline," the human whispered.

"Matt," Klaus carefully said, aware of every word he said as well as the breaking hearts of those in the room. _Bloody hell, what would Tyler say in this situation? _ "You, uh…you won't be…left out anymore. Treated as an equal, rather than being the one the group feels they need to lie to in order to protect." Hoping the vague platitude was enough to convince the human boy to take on eternity for Caroline's sake, Klaus nudged the bag in his direction yet again. Grinning with triumph when Matt took it, Klaus added. "That's it. It'd be better to be included, don't you think? Treated as an asset rather than a liability?"

* * *

Opening the doors to quaint, tiny church, Elena knew she had about three rooms to search as they looked for Damon. Blurring into the old choir room where she'd laughed at Jeremy's pitchy hymns, she shook her head. He wasn't there. While Stefan searched every inch of the chancel and the nave, Elena checked the bathroom and the pastor's office; she started to grow aggravated because he wasn't in either of them.

"He's not here!" Elena screamed, blurring into the main room, throwing one of the pews across the church in frustration. "Dammit, Stefan, where are they?" They'd searched every corner of the church, and failed to find Damon and his captor. What if she'd been wrong? What if Pastor Young had taken Damon somewhere else? Surely he wouldn't risk keeping Damon at home with April. Even subdued and weak by lack of blood, a vampire would do anything to replenish its strength.

"Graveyard?" Stefan questioned wryly and a blind rage like a fire swept over Elena as she flashed over to him and threw him up against the wooden wall. She wasn't in the mood for smartass remarks.

"That isn't funny!" she snarled, quickly regaining her balance when Stefan shoved her away from him.

"It wasn't supposed to be!" he snapped, flinging an arm toward the tall, stained-glass windows. "You said this place was by a cemetery. Maybe Young brought Damon to the graveyard – a mausoleum or something." Stefan grabbed her by the arm and Elena allowed herself to be dragged toward the entrance. "Wouldn't it be poetic to force my brother to spend his last few hours in a graveyard, surrounded by death before he actually has to face it?"

"That's demented," she croaked, totally drained of her previous annoyance.

Not bothering to look at her, he replied. "Something tells me that Young isn't living on the sane side of the fence."

"Damon!" Elena cried the second they stepped outside, praying he'd answer even though she knew it was a long shot. She'd never give up searching for him, but she was starting to feel desperate. She just needed to hear his voice.

"Quiet!" Stefan scolded in a harsh whisper. "If that lunatic hears you, Damon's dead before either one of us can get to him."

Snapping her mouth shut with an audible click at his words, Elena nodded her acquiescence, shoving her irritation aside as a cold shiver ran down her spine. If her stupidity got Damon killed, she'd never survive the guilt. All of his hard work would be for nothing. She'd either flip the switch or…

Swallowing, Elena followed Stefan's lead and ducked silently from tree to tree. If Damon didn't make it, she might as well take off her ring and walk into the sun.

* * *

"_Damon!"_

Damon lifted his head, barely able to hear the frantic voice, but knowing it was Elena's. He'd hear her calling to him from hell long after he was dead. The simple move was agony, his empty veins grating together with every small movement like two nail files rubbing against each other. With effort, he glanced toward Pastor Psycho, hoping that he hadn't heard and that she wouldn't be stupid enough to call for him again.

"Just wait, Salvatore," Young said smugly as he obsessively rearranged a small, wooden table with assorted vampire hunting weapons sprawled across the surface. "At dawn, when my parishioners arrive and see you crucified before the altar, they'll realize they're not safe from creatures of the night. That fool Sheriff Forbes and the Mayor will watch the entire town fall to their knees and kiss my hands for saving them from you – the dreaded blood-drinking monster."

"S'long as…we're being honest, Young'in," Damon managed, refusing to go out without one last quip. "Make sure you get…rid of me with a bang, huh?"

A smile curled the church-goer's lips as he nodded slowly. "I think I can manage that." Checking his watch, his smile grew more sinister. "Just a few more hours and it'll be ashes-to-ashes for you, vampire." Heading toward the doorway of the mausoleum, he said. "I've got some final arrangements to make, so I suggest you use this time to pray and ask God for his forgiveness for all your sins."

"Doubt you'll be gone long enough for me to get through the A's," Damon said, biting back a groan of pain. "But I'll…be sure to do that."

"Do what?" Elena asked shakily, blocking the entryway of the crypt and trying to look intimidating. Her resolve crumbled the second she saw him, however, and she was barely able to keep her voice steady as her gaze focused in on Damon's condition. "Oh my God, Damon…"

"Elena Gilbert?" Pastor Young asked, his voice heavy with disbelief. Tearing her gaze away from Damon, she met his would-be killer's gaze as her eyes began to darken and veins rose to tangle around her sockets. "I'm so sorry," he said sadly, reaching into his jacket and retrieving a stake.

"Elena, run," Damon demanded weakly, but she ignored him, brandishing her own stake – THE stake – and easily ducking out of the way as the pastor charged. He crashed into the far wall of the decrepit space, scrambling instantly to a standing position without bothering to brush the dust and debris from his cloak.

Adrenaline raced through Elena's veins as she glanced at Damon, preparing for a second attack. This time acting on the offensive, she charged the pastor, fully intent on piercing his heart – vampire or not, this wasn't the man she'd known as a child and she was desperate to save Damon – but she hadn't gone more than two steps when the pastor flicked his hand in her direction. An instant pain blossomed in her chest, just below her sternum.

Damon roared in rage as she frowned and looked down at the stake protruding from her torso. The world grew foggy and everything slowed down as her legs gave out and she sank to the floor. Vaguely, she was aware of what had happened, but it didn't make sense. It wasn't supposed to end like this. She was a vampire now, she was supposed to finally be able to protect the people that she loved, not die in the dust while Damon was forced to watch.

Wrapping her fingers around the stake, she gave a weak tug, almost blacking out at the pain, but succeeding in pulling it out a full inch. It was too late, however, as Pastor Young loomed over her with the hand-sculpted weapon she'd managed to knock out of his hands. Elena blinked, comprehending on some level what was about to happen, but unable to utter a word in protest. As the hunter raised his arm, she squeezed her eyes shut, unable to watch her inevitable end.

Suddenly, she was flying through the air, hitting the opposite side of the tomb before crashing to the cold marble floor. The collision knocked some of her reasoning back into place and focusing all of her energy, she yanked the stake out of her body just in time to hear a pained, guttural gasp.

Holding a hand to her quickly healing wound, Elena turned toward the sound just as Pastor Young fled from the crypt.

Her heart stopped.

"No," she breathed, lurching to her feet and rushing toward Stefan as he choked for air. "Stefan!" she cried, ripping the stake that had been meant for her out of his chest. The vampire's eyes locked with hers as he struggled for his last breaths.

"Elena, I'm…sorry," he gasped. "About…what I said in the car."

"Don't talk," she whispered, unable to even remember that there'd been a car or a conversation or an argument as she watched the body of the man she once loved turn grey and chillingly still. "Stefan?"

Silence.

"No, n-no… Open your eyes, Stefan," she begged, shaking him, unable to accept the fact that he was gone. "Come on, Stefan. Look at me, please, Stefan, open your eyes!"

A sudden realization had her drawing in a sharp breath as she uttered a shaky, tearful. "Oh my God." Eyes wide, she turned slowly, meeting Damon's gaze with trepidation. His blue eyes were shining in the moonlight spilling through the open doorway as he stared unblinkingly at his brother.

Stefan was dead.

Damon's _brother _was dead. He'd died for her.

After what felt like hours, though it had to have only been seconds, Elena quickly got to her feet and rushed to the man literally pierced to the wall. Reaching for the stakes, Damon stopped her with a low and frightening, "Don't."

Blinking in surprise, Elena looked helplessly at him before noticing the burned flesh surrounding the wooded stake that had been used to immobilize him. Vervain. Tearing off one of her sleeves, she wrapped the burgundy red fabric around the weapon before ripping it out of his wrist. Damon sucked in a sharp breath, too weak to respond any other way. He sagged toward the ground, hanging painfully by the arm still crucified to the stone wall.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she babbled, rushing to pull the other stake out. Dropping to the ground like a two-ton weight, Damon let out a guttural moan that Elena knew it wasn't from the pain of his hours of torture. "I'm sorry," she sobbed, apologizing for so much more than a couple of wooden stakes as she pulled his weakened body into her arms. "I'm so sorry."

Elena's heart broke as he tried to shake her off of him and half-crawled, half-fell toward his brother. "Damon, wait," she begged, reaching for him. Taking his face between her hands, she wondered if he was even seeing her as he stared straight ahead with dull, lifeless eyes. God, this was all her fault. Stefan had died taking a stake meant for her. Stroking his cheeks, she prayed that he'd hear her. "I need to you get blood, okay? You need blood, but he won't get away with this. Jack Young will pay for this, I swear. We'll make him pay."

Without another word, Elena slipped her arm around him, hoisting him to her feet while wrapping her other arm around his waist. "Come on," she insisted. "We need to get you –"

"Leave me with him," he croaked, his voice rough with anger.

Taking everything in, Elena balked at the idea. "Damon, I can't-"

"Leave. Me. With my brother," he insisted, his voice calm and strong and steady, revealing nothing of the agony he'd endured for the past few hours.

Furrowing her brows in worry, but unable to argue with that kind of resolve, Elena carefully eased him back down to the ground and placed a kiss to his lips. "I'll be right back," she promised, vanishing to get him help, but not before scooping up every stake and weapon she could find and bringing them with her.

Pastor Young would not be taking anyone else away from her tonight.

* * *

Caroline paced back and forth in Bonnie's living room, panicking anew over the fact that Elena hadn't answered her phone calls. Matt had finally chosen to turn and Bonnie was in the kitchen, completely freaking out – for reasons completely unknown to Caroline – and she really just needed someone to tell her that everything was going to be okay.

"I'm sure she's just busy with Damon," Tyler stated as if it were the most normal thing on Earth as he leaned over the back of the couch. "She'll call you back, I'm sure."

"You're sure?" she laughed shrilly. "Elena doesn't just not answer. I mean she does, but she never doesn't not answer continuously." Caroline blinked. What the hell had she just said? Dammit, she was losing her mind! "Does that make sense? I'm not sure if that makes sense?"

"I understood you," Tyler laughed, skirting around the edge of the couch and sitting next to her. "Have no fear, love. Elena's a big girl and she doesn't need to check in with you as if you're her mother, does she?"

"I know. I get it. I do, it's just…" she trailed off, looking at him curiously. Her head quirked to the side. Did Tyler just call her 'love?' When he gave her a quizzical expression, obviously oblivious to his mindless mistake, Caroline voiced her question aloud. "Did you just call me 'love'?"

Tyler's mouth dropped open in shock for a split second before an easy grin returned to his lips. "Did I? I don't think so."

"No, you did," she insisted. "I'm sure of it. You said 'have no fear, _love, _like…like…" Caroline's eyes widened in horror as all of Tyler's strange behavior of late suddenly reminded her of a very persistent and supposed _dead _Original vampire.

But it couldn't be true. That kind of weird body-swapping only happened in the movies, right?

_No freaking way,_ she thought, realizing that for the past couple of years the most insane solution was usually the right one. "_Klaus_?"

Stuttering over his words, Tyler – _Klaus! – _finally admitted. "I…Caroline, I can explain. You have to give me the chance to explain."

* * *

Rushing back to the tomb where she'd left Damon kneeling over his brother's dead body after he'd been put through agonizing hell in more ways than one, Elena had eight blood bags in a giant tote.

"Damon," she murmured as she entered the crypt, her eyes full of empathy for the vampire barely able to stay alert enough to mourn the loss of his brother. "I have blood," she said quietly, crouching beside him. She couldn't imagine what he must be going through, knowing that although there'd been tension between the brothers their entire lives – especially since she'd entered it – Damon loved his brother.

Ripping open one of the bags, Elena offered it to him. He needed to drink it and fast. His complexion was ashen and he was as stiff as a board, unmoving and barely breathing as his oceanic gaze traveled slowly over Stefan's corpse.

"Here," she whispered, placing the tube against his lips as Damon stayed limp – nearly as lifeless as his brother. "Drink, okay? You have to drink, Damon." For a long moment, he remained stoic, his mouth locked shut, his eyes watered but no tears fell. It began to worry her and just as Elena started to question whether or not he was going to save himself, Damon's lips parted slightly –just enough for her to slip the tube into his mouth.

Relief washed over her as he began to drink. He wasn't giving up. Thank God. In less than a minute he drained the first bag and she quickly offered him another, and then another as Damon's color finally began to return. His strength followed – slowly, so painfully slowly – and by the sixth bag he reached for it himself. By the time he'd helped himself to the eighth and final bag, he was nearly back to normal.

Normal aside from the fact that his brother was still dead.

Letting the blood bag fall from his fingers, Damon remained still and focused on his brother's motionless form. Elena's hand smoothed up and down his back as she whispered. "We need to go, Damon. We have to get out of here."

"He's gone," Damon muttered, allowing Elena to pull him up off the cold, dirty ground and guide him towards the exit. "My brother's gone." Elena's face crumpled at his words, and they headed for the Coupe. Before they reached the car, however, the vampires picked up on a shuffling sound in the far off corner of the cemetery. Snapping out of his trance, Damon blurred over to the bushes hugging the far tombstones and attacked the cowering pastor.

"You son of a bitch," he snarled, throwing him into the air and sending him careening across several gravesites until the old man crashed against a headstone with a bone-cracking crunch. "You killed him!" he shouted, after blurring over to glower at the human's twitching body.

"Damon!" Elena called, tossing him one of the stakes she'd collected. Desperately hoping he'd make Stefan's killer pay, she eagerly waited to hear their last words.

"Damon," Pastor Young gasped, lifting his hand as if to reach out to the vampire. "You can't want this life for yourself. Vampires are…you're monstrosities."

"Then you're welcome," Damon said with a cruel smirk. "You'll no longer have to deal with us," he quipped, jamming the wooden stake into the pastor's abdomen with such speed and precision that the human didn't realize the pain until it was radiating everywhere and he gasped for air. "I seem to have gotten a lung," Damon joked with a grim smile. "But I can't seem to find it in me to give a damn. Have a nice death, enjoy hell, and I'll be seeing you never."

* * *

Stepping through the front door of the boarding house, Elena helped Damon to the couch. The ride home had been quiet and when he'd tried to get out of the car, he failed. He'd regained most of his strength, but he couldn't make his legs work after avenging Stefan's death. Elena wondered if he'd flipped the switch, but she knew that doing so didn't immobilize a vampire. Damon had convinced her not to give in to the temptation of not feeling and to fight for her emotions when she'd first turned. He was probably having trouble functioning because he'd just lost the one person who'd been by his side for nearly two centuries, gone in the blink of an eye.

Her heart broke at the realization that she'd lost someone who had mattered so much and had such a profound impact on her life, but upon seeing Damon's reaction, or lack thereof, her heart absolutely shattered.

Elena gave Damon a glass of blood before walking over to his liquor stash and filling another tumbler full of bourbon. "Here," she whispered. "You should drink this, too. It'll help." Damon's eyes never left the glowing flames in the fireplace as he shook his head. "Take it," she said, touching his shoulder with the glass. "Damon…"

"I don't want it, Elena," he stated roughly, voice hoarse from not having spoken in hours. "It won't help."

"Is there anything I can do?" she asked quietly, sitting beside him and setting the glass on the coffee table. Elena wanted to laugh at her question. Was there anything she could do? She could have _not_ hesitated when Pastor Young had paused at the realization that she was vampire. She could have gone to Bonnie and sought out a reversal. Elena could have done something else, anything else, rather than being a useless waste of space beside him.

Shaking his head, Damon pulled Elena into his arms, resting his chin on her crown as she buried her face into his neck. "Just be here," he murmured into her hair. "All you have to do is be here."

* * *

_A/N: So…yeah. There's that. LOL. Please don't hate me, guys. My muse actually came back full force (mostly because of you and your kind words) and I started writing this chapter…and then the story kind of took this direction and then the more I went with it the more I realized how right it felt. I've always wondered what's going to happen when all is said and done with this couple. I firmly believe that someone is going to die so that the other two can live, and while I feel like that may be Elena or Damon, this is my story and I don't want them dying. :D Anxious to hear your thoughts, but please don't make me cry. ;) Next chapter is the epilogue. Don't know when it'll be up, but yeah. We're almost done. :( Xoxo, Kate_


	9. Chapter 9

_AN: WOW! So who loved the premiere as much as I did? Granted, the cheeSE was gag-worthy, but I think it's safe to say those two aren't going to last much longer. They honestly seemed force, and while I love Paul and Nina, there is zero chemistry between them. Damon was badass - as always - and the memory scene was beautifully recreated. I can't stop playing "Twice" by Little Dragon. All of DE's music is perfect. Anyway, here it is! The epilogue. I can't believe another journey's been completed. I can't thank you guys enough for reading, alerting, and adding this to your favorites'. I hope you enjoy this final chapter of "A Love That Consumes You."_

_Thank you, Mariah for beta'ing this story. I can always count on you to make a crappy chapter decent! ;P Seriously. Thank you, friend! Xoxo.  
_

* * *

Two Months. Eight Weeks. 56 Days.

Damon stood in front of Stefan's grave, staring at the dateless headstone and marveling at the passage of time. He'd had lost his brother – the one person who'd never given up on him no matter how badly he'd fucked things up – and the world had kept turning as if nothing had changed. Damon kept thinking about the last words they'd exchanged and the bitter irony of Stefan's demise.

"_Elena wanted me to save Matt. So that's what I did. I saved Matt." _

"_And you didn't save Elena!"_

Except that he had. When it counted – truly counted – Stefan had done exactly that. He _had _saved Elena from Pastor Young's vicious attack while Damon had been forced to watch – unable to do _anything _to help – all because the deluded follower of God had been hell-bent on destroying vampire kind.

_That son of a bitch got what he deserved_, he thought bitterly. For all Damon knew, Young was in heaven, enjoying eternal paradise as payment for his efforts to rid the world of vampires. He wished he'd had the strength to make him suffer in this world before he'd died.

Damon's thoughts wandered, circling around the other events of that night and the one thing that might have prevented his brother's death. He couldn't regret making love to Elena for the first time – for giving into a year and a half's worth of pent-up frustration – but had they just…waited. If they'd gone to Stefan first and told him the truth instead of giving into their desire, his brother might still be alive to brood and hate him with a burning passion for stealing his girl.

Or if he'd driven Elena home, rather than opting to walk on the breezy, cool summer night…

Or if he'd stayed in the basement of the Grille and waited for help instead of venturing out to look for Elena...

Or if…

Closing his eyes briefly, Damon clenched his jaw, blocking out the sight of his brother's grave, tucking into the corner of the cemetery next to their mother's. _So many goddamn what ifs, _he thought, as he kneeled in front of the grave that read _Rosalina Salvatore: Beloved Mother and Wife. _He felt something yank at his heartstrings_; _he'd made a point not to dwell on the people from his human life that he'd long outlived, but he knew he wouldn't be able to do the same when it came to Stefan.

_Goddamn him,_ he thought when Damon finally turned to face his brother's headstone. The first thing he noticed was that Stefan's ring had disappeared.

He'd put it on the grave, instead of burying it with his brother because Damon knew how much Stefan hated his vampire side. After telling Katherine what had happened, that Stefan died saving his life, instead of protecting Elena, because Kat would've lost her shit and tried to kill her, the lookalike took the news stoically, seemingly unaffected by it. It had been a few days since he'd last seen her, but now that he saw the ring was gone, he assumed she'd taken it with her.

The corner of Damon's mouth lifted as he heard leaves crunching behind him, but he didn't turn around on Elena's soft sigh or the murmured sound of his name. "Damon."

"Hmm," he responded evasively, keeping his back to her as he rose to his feet in an attempt to avoid yet another argument since they'd lost Stefan. She'd suggest they do something to distract themselves from their pain, and he'd brush her off to brood in solitude. He knew the distance was hard on her, but he didn't know how else to act. He wasn't ready to talk about what had happened – wasn't sure how to put into words how he felt about the fact that Stefan had died saving her life without making things worse.

Damon loved Elena more than anything and the only silver lining in this mess of pain was that she was still there. He didn't know what he would've done if Elena had been the one they'd had to put in the ground.

"_I can't think of a better reason to die,"_ Stefan had vowed resolutely the day she'd been kidnapped and used as bait for Elijah. A vampire's death was almost guaranteed to be violent, but at least his brother had gotten his wish in the end – dying to save the woman he loved…

And giving Damon the chance to be happy.

"You've been out here forever," Elena murmured, wrapping her arms around Damon's waist and pressing a tentative kiss to his shoulder. "Come on, let's go home."

"He knew, didn't he?" he asked suddenly, the thought flitting into his mind as she stepped around to face him. Frowning at the question, Elena eyed him with trepidation. During their time of grieving, distractions from grieving, and doing all things that – try as they might – were grieving-related, they'd never once discussed what had happened. His timing was shit, but here they were and the words just kept coming. "He knew you'd chosen me and yet he threw himself in front of you like a fucking shield."

Elena felt a cold chill run down her spine at his words, her hands falling from his arms and dropping to her sides. They'd been walking on eggshells around each other, maintaining a façade of normalcy that wasn't normal – not even a little bit – and avoiding the topic of Stefan like the plague. She'd felt like a coward, but the pretending had kept her from crumpling beneath the crushing guilt of what her ex-boyfriend had done for her.

Guilt that – from the accusation in Damon's tone – he apparently felt she deserved.

Oblivious to the way she'd literally recoiled from his words, he continued. "He could've used the distraction you caused as a way to get me out of there, but he didn't." Elena swallowed as his body tensed, her gaze drifting down to his tightly balled hands before he turned around and abruptly walked away from both the grave and her. "Stefan died to save your life."

Elena's heart stopped at the sound of his blunt words. It was exactly what had happened, exactly what she'd been thinking herself, but hearing Damon say it out loud made it real.

She'd killed Stefan…and he blamed her for it.

"Where are you…Damon, where are you going?" she asked as he continued walking.

"Somewhere that isn't here," he hissed before blurring the remaining distance to the Camaro, throwing open the door and climbing inside. Running a hand through her hair, Elena watched helplessly as he slammed the door shut and slumped in the seat for a moment before he exploded into a violent fit of cursing. The car literally shook as he gripped the wheel, nearly ripping it away as he thrashed about in a fit of delayed anger.

Suddenly, the engine roared to life and before she could make it back to the vehicle, Damon hit the gas and sped away, leaving Elena to stare after him, dumbstruck. Tears coursed down her cheeks as she stood next to Stefan's grave, wishing with everything she had that there was something she could do or say to make things right. She was losing Damon – had been losing him slowly since the night she'd finally let him in – and if she didn't figure something out…

Her gaze drifted down to the disturbed earth covering Stefan's coffin. If Damon really blamed her for Stefan's death, she might as well dig herself a hole in the ground as well.

* * *

Caroline smiled, slipping her hand into Tyler's – the _real _Tyler, not Klaus-in-Tyler's-body Tyler – as they walked up her front steps. "You know," she said, giving him a sidelong look. "I think I finally believe you."

The hybrid blinked at her, before scoffing. "You think? You're not serious…are you serious?"

"Yes," she said with a definitive nod, holding onto her smile for as long as possible before the look on his face caused her to burst into hysterical giggles.

She'd barely had time to miss him after realizing Klaus had hijacked his body, demanding that Bonnie find a way to fix what they'd done. It had been tricky, but after working her magic for two days, the witch had managed it. Now that things had been righted, Tyler back in his respective body, Caroline had vowed never to take him for granted again.

Nearly losing him twice in one year was enough for an eternity.

"You somehow convinced Klaus that wooing a girl was best done when she wasn't already head over heels in love with somebody else." Her smile widened as Tyler pulled her into his arms.

Cupping her cheek, he leaned in closer. "Damn straight," he growled, wrapping an arm around her waist. "You're _my_ girl."

"You bet I am," she nodded, closing the distance and placing a chaste, albeit sweet kiss on his lips. "All yours."

After saying goodnight to him, Caroline closed the door and made her way to her room. Setting her purse on her dresser, she looked into the mirror and began unpinning her hair, letting the now-loose curls fall to her shoulders. As she unpinned the last curl from her previous twisty bun, something in the reflection caught her eye. Furrowing her brow, she turned around to examine an object left on her bed – a tiny, white box. Narrowing her eyes, she picked it up, noting the lack of card and the gold bow tied enticingly around it.

Ripping it open, she pulled the lid off of the box like an overzealous child on Christmas morning, her excited demeanor changing completely at what she found inside. A pair of teardrop diamond earrings – dangling like chandeliers from the needle post – was nestled within the soft, velvety jeweler's box. They went perfectly with a certain bracelet she'd received in a similar fashion – she knew who'd sent her this gift.

_Dammit, Klaus!_

The earrings were beautiful, and while the gift touched her, when the hell was he going to learn? Klaus _still _couldn't seem to get it through his head that she was with Tyler, that she _loved _Tyler.

Although, she had to admit, she admired the Original's persistence.

* * *

"Jenna," the teenager choked out, unable to believe the sight before him. Alaric had explained that Jenna had been around, but now that she was here, really and truly there in front of his eyes, Jeremy's mood jumped about ten levels. "Jenna!"

"I'd hate to say I told you so," Ric chuckled. "But I did tell you…so…"

Rolling his eyes at the ghost's remark he retorted, "Shut up, man." Focusing his attention on his aunt, Jeremy leapt off the bed and approached her. "Where have you been?"

"He told you," Jenna smiled. "You know; around."

"Right," her nephew scoffed playfully. "Just not where I could see you. And it took you long enough to finally show yourself." His grin warmed and his eyes stung painfully. "I've missed you, Jenna. Elena and I…we've really missed you."

* * *

Elena's heart constricted painfully inside her chest as she raced home, tears streaming down her cheeks. She wasn't even sure if Damon had gone home, but if he did, in fact, blame her for Stefan's death then they had a serious discussion coming their way.

Calling out to him as she stepped through the doorway, Elena paused, waiting for a response of any kind – even just the subtle thrumming of his heart.

Nothing.

So, she checked the parlor, then the kitchen. Then Damon's room and three others – he wasn't in any of them.

Her heart slammed in her chest as she made her way to the one bedroom she hadn't checked – the one she'd been avoiding. Closing her eyes, she drew a deep breath, closed her fingers around the doorknob and pushed it open.

Inside, she found Damon lifting Stefan's guitar into his hands before fingering the strings and playing some of the most beautiful chords she'd ever heard. Elena hadn't known that Damon could play, but now wasn't the time to question him on it as she lifted her gaze to meet his tear-filled blue orbs.

"Damon," she whispered, approaching him slowly, terrified that he'd disappear again. Unable to hold back any longer, Elena flew toward him, the music coming to an abrupt and cacophonous end when he held a hand up, stopping her in her tracks.

His voice was equally quiet as he pleaded with her to stay where she was. "Don't," he begged in an uncharacteristically small voice, averting her penetrating gaze.

"I'm sorry," she cried. He couldn't even look at her. Elena's doubts over whether or not Damon blamed her for Stefan's death continued to solidify. "Damon, I'm so sorry."

"He's gone," he croaked, scoffing tearfully and setting the instrument carefully beside him. "You're here, but my brother's gone." Biting her lip, fighting her own tears from escaping, she sucked in a sharp breath.

"I get it," she choked out, shrugging almost imperceptibly as her heart ached with sorrow. "I do, Damon. I'd switch places with him if I could. I never meant for Stefan to die and I'd take his place in a heartbeat."

"What?" he demanded roughly, blinking at her for a moment. Shaking his head, he stood up to meet her. "Elena…"

"You hate me and I get. God, do I get it," she wept quietly. "I'd do anything to bring him back, Damon, and I'm sorry I can't but…" Damon cut her off, gripping her shoulders with unbreakable strength as he finally looked – really looked – into her watery eyes.

"You think I hate you?" he questioned.

"I know you do," she nodded, trying to get out of his grasp but he held on tight. "You-your words, your actions…nearly everything's pointed to it."

Damon stared at her in stunned disbelief, seeing her conviction written clearly in her eyes. She believed what she was saying, that he hated her and wished that she'd died instead of Stefan. How could he have let her think that? Had he really been so lost in his grief? Flipping through his memories of the past two months, he tried to imagine them through her eyes. His heart sank.

_Fuck. _

"I don't," he promised, tilting his chin up so that she had to meet his gaze. "I could never hate you."

"But, you've been avoiding me all this time," she insisted, tears slipping down her cheeks as she furrowed her brow in confusion. "And then at the cemetery…"

"I lost it," he admitted. "I shouldn't have left you there."

Closing her eyes shut tight against more tears falling, she nodded. "That hurt…but I think I know why you did it. You needed space?" He dropped his arms but intertwined their fingers.

"I didn't want to look at his grave anymore." Damon squeezed her tiny hands in his and stepped closer to her. "Elena, I'd do anything to go back and save Stefan…I would. He was my brother and he shouldn't have died the way he did, but he did it to save you." Stroking her cheek, he murmured. "I think Stefan's finally at peace now."

"What do you mean?" she asked, smiling as Elena leaned into his palm and hating the fact that he'd ever given her a reason to doubt his love, even if unintentionally so.

"Stefan sort of…balanced the scales, I guess. He might have been an idiot for listening to you when you wanted to sacrifice yourself, but he did as you'd asked, never wanting you to die in the process. I think he thought that this was his redemption. I don't think he ever forgave himself for your turning, Elena. And now he doesn't have to suffer anymore. His dying meant that the two people he cared about the most get to live."

Shaking her head, Elena frowned. "Damon, that's a lovely idea, but how could you possibly…?"

"It's how I would feel if I'd been the one to get staked that night, Elena," he admitted. Dying for her or for his brother would have been a death that mattered – a death that would have made his entire existence matter. "That, and it was who Stefan was. He'd always wanted that – to be good and righteous and noble." Pulling her into his arms and stroking her hair, he cursed himself. "I'm sorry you thought I blamed you. I never blamed you, Elena."

Elena swallowed thickly, tightening her grip around Damon's waist. "It's okay."

"It's not."

"It is," she promised, looking up at him. "You were dealing with things in your own way. Everyone has their own way."

"I love you. I miss him, but I'm glad it wasn't you I lost that night. I'd be a pile of ashes by now."

"Don't say that," she growled, slapping him against the chest. "If anything ever happens to me, you'll never do such a thing." Seeing his brow jump, Elena pressed. "Promise me."

Smirking, she saw the pain in his eyes as he said. "I'm not sure if I could keep it."

"Well, you'd better do your damnedest."

Inhaling deeply and smiling when she buried her face into the crook of his neck, Damon agreed. "I promise, Elena. No suicidal moves from me."

"I love you, Damon," she whispered. "You know that, right?"

If he'd been told six months ago that Elena would be saying those three little words to him, he would have never believed it. He would have insisted that that person had been compelled, or simply delusional. But here she was, the love of his life in his arms, promising her devotion to him and seeking his trust when confirming with a question. Nodding against her crown, and chuckling when she nipped playfully at his neck, he answered her. "I love you, too." Lifting Elena into his arms, Damon sped her into his bedroom.

"It's like you're reading my mind," she laughed.

Laughing when his shirt was ripped from his chest in the blink of an eye, he asked. "You sure you can keep up with me?" He smirked when Elena's eyes darkened as she tossed the fabric to the floor.

"Damon, I had _you_ out of breath last time," she reminded him as he tossed her on the bed, her hair sprawled across the silk pillow as she bit her lip, grinning deviously when he hovered over her. "I think I should be the one asking that question. Not you."

"_Okay_," Damon said, rolling his eyes before he leaned down to kiss her. "How about you prove it?"

"I like the sound of that," she murmured, running her hand through his stark black hair. "We have all the time in the world."

_The End._

* * *

_AN: And there it is! We're done. There are so many people reading this story, I hope you all decide to leave your final thoughts! Be it good, not-so-good, or indifferent. Catch you on the flipside! ~Kate  
_

_P.S.  
_

_If you like AH/AU fics, I've recently posted a new story titled, "Fate, or Something Like It." Elena's not your typical Elena in this one - call it an experiment. ;) I'd love to hear your thoughts on it if you decide to read!  
_

_P.S.S.  
_

_Follow me on Twitter for spoilers on my stories, LOTS of DE tweets, or if you'd just like to chat.  
_


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